


Love Me Or Hate Me, You're Still Stuck With Me

by Luthwyn



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Angst, Arguments, DAN AND PHIL - Freeform, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Injury, M/M, Mentions of Blood, Phan - Freeform, Phandom - Freeform, Tied together, idk - Freeform, prince AU, royal au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-02-11 11:04:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 24,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12933894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luthwyn/pseuds/Luthwyn
Summary: The royal families of Mira and Valkrai have been fighting for generations and Sybil had had enough. She may only seem like a crazy cat lady but she has a way to bring these two families together, quite literally.





	1. Chapter 1

Mira and Valkrai were not the best of neighbours and Sybil Ester had had enough. The two kingdoms had been bickering for as long as anyone could remember, what over nobody knew and why they kept it up was a mystery. Their armies were constantly marching through each other’s kingdoms in an effort to rile the other up and even the citizens of the kingdoms were beginning to become irritated at the constant disruption. Now Sybil was a bit of a recluse you see, and every time Valkrai’s army marched up through the woods to get to Mira’s capitol (Mersey) her lovely forest trails would be ruined and no matter what she did she could never save her precious herbs once they had been stamped on. She was most commonly known as the crazy cat lady in the woods, but the heads of state knew her to be a witch. She guarded the pine woods that lay just outside the border walls of Mersey, making sure nothing to evil took up residence there. Since her job was so important, she attended the main council meetings of the continent with Mira’s royal family. She was good friends with the Lesters, they were nice people, but they didn’t forget things easily, as evidenced by their long standing grudge.

The council meeting took place every three years and representatives of all five of the kingdoms of the continent were required to attend. It was always a rather strange occasion with some kingdoms being a lot more vocal than others. Valkrai and Mira both shared a reclusive outcrop on the edge of the continent so despite both have quite large and influential kingdoms, the troubles of lands further south were often not their main concerns. Stella was beginning to feel that the only reason they were both so eager to attend was to trade insults with one another. Such a meeting was taking place next week and, with Sybil set to attend, she had constructed a plan.

For the first time the Lester’s would be taking their youngest son, Philip. Usually he was left behind, seeing that he would never actually have to run a kingdom, and so had no need for the politics of the continent to be of his concern. He had insisted however this time howver, which made things a whole lot easier for the witch, for he was a vital part of her plan. Phil was a confident and rather strange man of nineteen and while he may not have been a child any more, his family often treated him as such. Perhaps that was why he was so eager to attend the council meeting. He was probably the one who held the least hatred for his neighbours although unfortunately some of his parent’s prejudices had rubbed off on him which was something that needed changing. It would have been a lot more effective to use his older brother in place of Philip, but unfortunately the circumstances did not always bend in Sybil’s favour and she had to improvise.

The other person the plan required was currently across the border in Valkrai, but the witch knew enough about him to conclude that he would do just fine. He was the eldest son of the Howells, the royal family of Valkrai, and had a bit of a reputation for not being the most sociable prince in the world. His name was Daniel or Dan, although he preferred to just be known as the crown prince, and he was having a few problems at the moment with finding a wife, for reasons Sybil hoped to be correct for her plan to work. He was a year younger than Philip, although surpassed him in maturity levels greatly and mainly stuck to himself. He was mostly reluctant to be king, although clearly he did not have a choice in the matter and sulked a great deal every time he had to attend a council meeting.

The meeting was in no more than a week, and being held at the other end of the continent in Viveta, they would have to travel for a good portion of those days in order to get there. She packed her bags and left a spell on her cat’s food bowl to refill every day until she got back. She hopped on her shaggy mountain horse and headed to the main road where she had agreed to meet the royal family’s procession. It wasn’t an ornate arrangement with only two royal guards and the family all on horseback, anything larger would have taken far too long to reach Viveta and they would have missed the meeting. Phil, who was ironically quite afraid of horses, clung to the back of his dappled grey mare, Lillian, in what Sybil could only describe as pure terror, this was going to be a long trip for him.

It took four days to meet the border and Sybil had never been gladder of anything in her life. Riding was not something she found particularly enjoyable and the entire trip had been spent with the King of Mira trying desperately to start conversation. His wife was far more concerned with talking with Martyn and the guards were as silent as they come. Phil looked positively green and the witch was quite afraid that any action that took his concentration away would result in a rather disgusting mess on the floor. She had been asked over and over how things were in the woods and despite her being happy to answer the first time, after a while it became quite tiresome.

The one saving grace of the trip was that they got to stop off at several lovely country houses along the way to stay the night, which was quite the contrast to Sybil’s tiny little cottage. As soon as they crossed over the Vivita border, they were met by a group of Vivetan Knights who were ready to escort them. The Capitol was strewn with decorations, signalling the upcoming event, and crowds lined the streets as various people arrived to attend the meeting. It was an odd experience for the Lesters and Sybil, as the citizens of Mira tended to have quite a ‘we respect you but don’t really care’ attitude and only turned up for events such as a coronation or wedding. As they had arrived a little early and were all exhausted from the journey they were lead to their rooms so they would be in good shape for Saturday.

Phil was in a bit of a nervous state. He hated horses, especially riding them, and this was actually the first time he had ever left the kingdom. It was so much warmer down south and there were so many more plants. Mira was sort of bare if you think about it. There were only really mountains and pine forests, nothing like the luscious grass and flowers that grew in every plant pot in site. It also wasn’t raining which was a bit of an odd occurrence and the sun was far too bright for his pale skin. It wasn’t only that though. Sybil had been acting strange since they had left and he knew from experience not to trust her. She was kind but also a little mad and often came up with elaborate and quite frankly stupid plans to achieve her goals. Phil had a feeling that this particular plan included him from the looks she kept giving him. He had no idea why he had even argued to come on this stupid trip, he wanted to prove his parents wrong, prove that he wasn’t a child anymore. He wanted to prove that he could look after himself, even if it may not be entirely true.

Unfortunately he seemed to have forgotten how much he hated leaving the comfort of home, riding horses (well horses in general) and just generally being in places where he did not feel as though he had any control. The room he had been given was large and ornate, not dissimilar to his own room although a lot colder in its atmosphere, how ironic. From his window he could look down into the courtyard of the castle he was staying in, it was empty apart from a man around his age who was pacing up and down in annoyance. He looked upset and something inside of Phil tugged at him, telling him that he should go and see if he was alright. He hadn't slept earlier and was trying now to stay awake until dusk so that his sleeping pattern wasn’t too disrupted. Unfortunately he kept almost drifting off. Perhaps talking to this man would help him stay awake. He headed out of his room and jumped as he almost ran into a guard that was stood directly outside his door.

“Um hi?” he questioningly as the Knight turned are rolled his eyes at him. “I was just wondering if I would be able to go for a walk?” the Knight made no acknowledgment of his question and Phil could see from looking down the hall that there was also another guard outside his parents room and one a bit further down outside of Sybil's. He attempted to push past only to be roughly shoved back into the door way. Seeing no way through, Phil retreated back into his room.

He was pretty handy with a sword being a prince and all but he didn’t think fighting a guard that was actually supposed to be protecting him would set him up well for future council meetings. He wondered why they were there in the first place, surely the palace was safe enough that guards weren’t required at every room. They walked past dozens of rooms on their way there and there were no guards outside them. He had seen other people leaving them as well so they weren’t empty. Viveta seemed like such a nice calm place, were there really that many people here that would want to kill his family, maybe the royals here just wanted to be on the safe side to ensure none of their visitors came to any harm. Phil sorely hoped it was that rather than something more sinister. He wandered back to the window, only to find that the courtyard was empty and the boy gone. He cursed quietly and went to go and sit on his bed, he really could have done with someone to talk to. He was feeling very closed in and trapped in this room, at least he would be able to see his parents at dinner.

Sybil knew full well why there was guard outside her room, even if that bitch queen of Viveta wouldn’t tell her. She cursed that woman with all her might (in her mind of course, any real curses would get her in a lot of trouble) and sat down on the bed, deep in thought. This guard keeping her in hindered her plans for this trip greatly. You see the last council meeting had seen a rather unfortunate incident involving a certain King of Mira and a certain king of Valkrai running into each other in the hallway. Both men on their own were polite, mild mannered fathers of two but together they were mortal enemies. That and the fact that their absent wives resulted in a lack of reason and tolerance did not help and they had both of course challenged each other to a duel, right there, in the hallway.

 

It had actually ended in a draw and while nobody was hurt they had made quite a mess of the queen of Viveta’s wallpaper and she was not best pleased. As a result the council had agreed that this would stay on a strictly ‘what happens in Viveta, stays in Viveta’ bases. Clearly it had not been forgotten though. Sybil had been spying on her guard through the wall, trying to figure out a way to get past him without being caught when she spotted Phillip attempting to leave his room. She was expected him to be asleep since they had been riding for so long but she expected he was trying to keep his body clock at a decent time so he could sleep later on. As a witch she had no care for such things as sleep is not necessary to her. She winced as the prince was thrown back inside and had half a mind to march out of her room and slap that guard. Perhaps she would just have to wait, the guards would get complacent eventually and then she would be able to put her plan into action.

The council meetings were boring and Phil wished they had never come. He wasn’t even allowed to sit in on the confidential ones since he wasn’t a head of state nor a future one. Sybil was just a doddery old lady that lived in the woods with a bunch of cats and she was allowed to attend. He knew she was a witch and all but she could be very powerful, witchcraft didn’t run as deep as it once did and was being slowly eliminated through people simply not believing in it anymore. She supposedly watched over the woods although Phil didn’t think anything dark actually lived there. Who would actually want to live in Mira, it was cold, desolate and everyone that lived there was either too grumpy or too stubborn to be good company or in the case of dark things that lived in the land good food. That wasn’t to say there weren’t things that could attract monsters. The gold and silver mines in the mountains on the north border had been an ancient target for dragons although their visits were rare these days and the fishing ports along the coast suffered from the occasional wave of mysterious sea reptiles or angry mermen but nothing too serious. The most common causes of death were freezing to death if you got caught outside for too long or being crushed in the mines if there was an earthquake. It was harsh but it was home.

Phil began pacing in his room. He had no idea why the guard wouldn't let him go for a wander around the palace. It was plenty well guarded and it wasn't as if he was going to run off. There was the same man in the courtyard as the first day they had arrived but he was being escorted by a guard this time. He had obviously just come out of the meeting as he was dressed rather smartly in black with a pretentious red cloak falling from his shoulders. He was closer now and Phil could see he had curly brown hair and quite pale skin, although not as pail as himself. He was young, probably around eighteen but he walked with an air of importance that made him seem a lot older. There was a delicate gold helm settled on his head, indicating he was a crown prince.

The man stopped and looked up, and Phil stepped back away from the window, almost tripping over the bedside table as he did do. The man frowned and Phil felt himself flush red as he realised he'd been caught staring. He was handsome and Phil was bored, it wasn't a crime to be interested in someone. The man turned to talk to his guard and then they both made their way back into the palace and out of sight. Phil felt himself cringe with embarrassment but what harm could it do. He didn't think he'd ever want to come back to the meetings if he was just going to be stuck inside for the whole time and other royals rarely ever visited Mira.

Evening rolled around and Phil was woken rather rudely from a nap je had been taking by his mother bursting into his room. He looked up at her groggily as she started muttering away to herself and started rooting around in a bag of clothes he had brought with him. Phil raised his eyebrows questioningly only to be hit in the face by a bundle of clothes.

"We have to attend a banquet tonight, or did you forget?" She said, shaking her head as Phil mumbled an apology, "This is why we still don't trust you to live on your own." It was meant fondly but Phil couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit irritated.

"Alright mum." He replied rolling his eyes, "I'll be out in a minute."

The banquet was a dull affair, nobody was really speaking to one another. It was like everything anyone wanted to say had already been said at the meetings and now there was nothing left to talk about. Phil however had been trapped in his room all day and was dying to have a conversation. His mother was sat on his right but she was too busy glaring at a family sat on the other table. He looked over and saw that the two adults were dressed quite pretentiously while the young boy next to them was wearing a simple red shirt. They must be the royal family of Valkrai although he thought they had two sons. The hosts were sat at the head table but even they looked at loss for words as the entire congregation shared an awkward silence.

He let out a sigh and leant back in his chair. Sybil who was sat on his left was searching the hall with eyes like an eagle but returned to her food when she did not find her target. Phil also scanned the hall but felt a little disappointed when he did not find the man from early, he looked as though he would have been nice to talk to. He was picking at his meal but felt no desire to eat it. The food in Vivita was strange and nothing like the slightly unhealthy and gross looking but ultimately delicious food back home with everything being over seasoned and overcomplicated. He quietly excused himself and headed back to his room. The guards were clearly too busy looking after the hall to notice him leaving and he was left to his own devices for the first time since he had arrived.

Since the only thing he had seen so far of the palace was his own room and the main hall so he might as well go for a walk. As he set off through a corridor lined with golden tapestries he found himself colliding with someone else walking swiftly in the opposite direction. Phil jumped back cradling his arm, the man he had walked into was clearly wearing armour. He looked up and met eyes with the man from the courtyard. He looked quite flustered and the silver gleam of a breast plate poked out from between the button of his black shirt. The man looked behind him, panic evident in his facial expression. He quickly grabbed Phil by the arm that wasn’t cradled to his chest and pulled him through the nearest door into a disused drawing room. Dusty curtains hung over the window, casting a yellowy glow into the room and the furniture had been covered in off white sheets to protect them from the sunlight.

The man shoved a Phil (who was far too surprised and confused to be much help to anyone) and ran over to the door, attempting to find some way of locking it. Panic started setting in on Phil.

“Um may I ask what is going on?” he said in a small voice, close to tears since his arm was really starting to hurt. The boy jumped and turned to face Phil seeming unsure of what to say. Suddenly he looked very guilty, especially when he looked down at Phil's arm.

“Ah well you see there has been this creepy old lady following me around all day and I’m starting to think she might be an assassin and I saw her in the corridor and panicked.”

Suddenly there was a bang on the door and a muffled voice came through it.

“You two open this door now!” it said in an assertive, slightly annoyed tone. Phil cocked his head to one side and let out a confused ‘huh’. That was Sybil’s voice, but Sybil was still in the banquet hall. The man was running from her but he was running from the wrong direction. The man was looking at him with a quizzical look and so Phil gestured for him to let the witch in.

“That’s Sybil, she’s not an assassin, just a crazy old lady that lives in the woods.”

The man relaxed noticeably but still looked a little hesitant to open the door. Before he could do anything more however a ring of red sparks appeared and the old woman simply walked through the door. The man’s jaw dropped and Sybil looked on in amusement, clearly pleased with herself. Phil's eyebrows furrowed, not only did she seemed to have teleported from the main hall but she was also in completely different clothes from when he had last seen her not ten minutes ago.

“I thought you were at the banquet, I was sat next to you.” He said, completely bewildered by what was happening. Sybil sighed and rolled her eyes.

“A simple spell my dear, I thought I’d taught you to see through such magic. Anyway, this has worked out perfectly, I needed you two together and he just locked you in the same room as him” She said gesturing the curly hair, “Bit eager aren’t we.”

Phil looked down at his feet sheepishly, he had had a few lessons with Sybil to help him spot magic and protect himself against it but he had spent most of the time messing about with his brother, he sort of regretted that now. The second part confused him. What did Sybil mean by she needed them too together. He knew she had been acting weird. What did she have planned this time? The man looked ready to bolt but Sybil lay a spindly had on his shoulder which seemed to render him completely still.

“Now I’d better introduce you to each other.” She pointed at Phil, “Now Daniel this is prince Philip of Mira,” and then pointing at ‘Daniel’, “and Philip this is crown prince Daniel of Valkrai.”

Despite his inability to move Daniel seemed to radiate hatred at the other and Phil understood why. Valkrai and Mira hated each other, Sybil knew that well enough. Suddenly the hand was removed off the other prince’s shoulder and his expression morphed into one of disgust.

“Get off me you vile witch, did you ask her to do this Lester?” he snarled. Phil shrunk into the chair slightly. He’d never been very good at confrontations. Sybil looked slightly pissed of now.

“Do you want to move or what.” She hissed, moving to place her hand back onto his shoulder. He shied away immediately,

“Alright, alright, just let me go. My parents will come looking for me soon enough, they’ll have you executed for laying that clawed old thing on me.”

Sybil scoffed and grabbed him by the wrist pulling him over to Phil. She went to get Phil's arm as well but he pulled it away, almost crying in pain out at the movement. Suddenly she looked very concerned, gesturing for Phil to show it to her. He raised him arm and pulled back the sleeve of his jacket but immediately regretted it. It was swollen and quite clearly bent out of shape; broken. Daniel looked quite shocked,

“You didn’t run into me that hard.” He said wincing. Sybil pressed on it gently and Phil resisted the urge to slap her. She could heal it but there was always the possibly it could be healed with the bone in the wrong place and Phil would be stuck with a lame arm for the rest of his life. It would need to be set properly and left to heal on its own.

“Weak bones.” Sybil sighed, “Probably doesn’t get enough sun.” Phil looked down at his pail skin and frowned, thank god he’d never fallen off a horse before, and that wouldn’t have gone well. How he was going to ride home with this however he had no idea and it really did hurt.

”Right I’ll get this done quickly and then I will have to take you to the physician, well both of you I guess.”

Before Phil could implore to what she meant something flew through the air and attached itself to his free arm, the same happening to Daniel. They both stood their slightly confused for a moment before Daniel went to move away and found he couldn’t. With every tug a thin rope of light starting at their wrists and ending at the others lit up and held them together. Their eyes met in horror as they both realised what had just happened, Sybil had chained them together. She stood back, nodding at her work.

“Right now you two are going to get along and so are your families or else that rope is never coming off. I am the only one who can remove it, kill me and you will be stuck, kill the other and I will force you to drag around their corpse for the rest of your life, got that?”

Both princes nodded, mainly of fear and Phil honestly wanted to cry. He wasn’t a wimp, he could handle himself in battle and while apparently his body was a little weaker than he would have liked his emotional responses weren’t usually so open. This was just an odd scenario and his arm was causing too much pain to think straight. Suddenly Daniel yanked on the bond keeping them together, dragging Phil’s good arm forward and almost pulling him over. He seemed almost certain he could snap the magic although Phil knew for certain that brute force would never work. The other man’s attempts were getting increasingly more rough and it was starting to hurt. Suddenly as another tug approach Phil launched himself forward causing Daniel to lose his balance and accidentally throw himself into the floor. He winced in pain and looked up at Phil with hatred in his eyes. Phil would have backed away a little at that point, the other prince may have been younger but he was both taller and stronger, but unfortunately the rope of orangey, yellow light prevented him.

“Do you want to break my other arm Daniel” He hissed in an effort to appear somewhat threatening, although it came out far more whiny than he would of liked. Daniel rolled his eyes and tapped his food in irritancy.

“Oh shut up wimp,” he spat, “And don’t call me Daniel, it’s Dan.”

Sybil who had been stood watching the scene unfold with those birdlike eyes of hers finally spoke up, clapping her hands together as if in delight.

“Getting quite comfortable with each other already I see,” she exclaimed, earning a dirty luck from both of the princes. She raised her hands defensively, “I’m kidding.”

“Please Sybil, unchain us, I need to see the physician and I’m sure Dan has things to do. We’re only here for a few more days, what will happen when we have to go home?”

The witch simply shrugged, “that will be up to you I suppose although I think you will be making visits to each others kingdoms quite frequently.”

“Wait how long are we going to have this on?” Dan said in a panicked voice. Sybil signed impatiently,

“I’ve already told you, you will be stuck together until you and the rest of your family learn to get along, and bit a minute sooner.”

“But our families feud goes back hundreds of years, you can’t just fix that, it would take years for our kingdoms to become neutral. You can’t do this Sybil.” Phil said sternly, the trouble he was in slowly dawning on him.

Sybil nodded gravely.

“I know Philip and believe me I didn’t take the decision to do this light-heartedly. You will most likely be like this for the next few years if not longer but this will help in the long run.”

Dan looked like he was about to cry by this point. He was looking down at the light, an expression of pure misery and frustration plaguing his face.

“No no this isn’t fair.” He shouted, tears falling now, “I’ll be king soon, I’ll help us get along just please don’t do this.”

Sybil shook her head, “I think we both know that isn’t going to happen and besides this might be quicker. I’ve changed my mind about staying I think though. I'll be heading home. When you think you’ve fulfilled all of the requirements come and visit and I’ll see if I should let you go. Remember to go and see the physician about your arm thought Philip, you don’t want it going lame, see you soon.” 

And she was gone. Dan looked over at Phil and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Please be a dream, please be a dream.” He muttered, crossing his fingers and shaking his head slightly. Phil didn’t really want to disturb him because maybe if he did the same then he would wake up back in his own bed in Mira and this wouldn’t be real. Why had he insisted on coming, it wasn’t even interesting. He just wanted to prove he was an adult but now he was sat there helpless and stuck to someone he didn’t know. He didn’t particularly hate Dan, he disliked he family and so far he had been a bit of a dick but it didn’t see it as being fair to judge someone before you actually meet them. Clearly Dan didn’t share the same values. As much as he wanted to believe all of this was a dream the constant pain in his arm reminded him otherwise.

“Dan can we go and see the doctor please, I’m not sure if I can cope with this for much longer.” 

Some slither of sympathy towards him inside Dan caused the younger man to nod.

“Alright but we have to face our families straight after, I want to get this out of the way as soon as possible.”

They both set off to find Dr Ethel, apparently Dan had got sick when he had visited Vivita for the first time, and had had to spend some time at the infirmary. It was on the other side of the palace and despite the fact that they kept at a fairly steady pace, occasionally they would drift too far apart and the rope would snap taunt, pulling them back together. Being magic most objects passed through the rope without any resistance, it only seemed to affect the two people it bound together. Eventually they arrived at a large room with beds lining the walls and large windows that looked down upon the palace gardens. The sun had completely set now and the room was dark and unoccupied.

“What can I do for you?” a female voice echoed from behind them. Both princes spun around quickly but Dan let out a sigh of relief and relaxed once he spotted the figure standing in the corner. She was a woman in her forties with long orange hair tied back into a neat ponytail.

"Hi doctor Ethel, Philip has managed to break his arm and we were wondering if you could put a splint on it.” Dan said nervously as the doctor eyed him suspiciously. She nodded at Phil.

“He's a Lester right?” she said walking towards him, “I thought you hated all the Lester’s.”

“It’s a long story.” Phil muttered, and Ethel didn’t push it any further. She winced as Phil held up his arm for her to inspect. 

“It’s not a bad break, I’ll put a splint on it for you, but you'll have to keep it relatively still for the next six weeks, I’m not sure how you are going to ride home.” She said, reaching into a draw to pull out a wooden splint. She also grabbed a handful of some black seeds.

“Eat these, it will help with the pain.” 

Phil eyed them warily. They didn’t look anything like the plants they used back home to help with pain,

“What are they?” he asked as the doctor began selecting the right amount to give him.

“Poppy seeds.” She replied matter of factly to which Phil almost threw them back at her.

“What are you trying to do, kill him?” Dan shrieked, going to slap the seeds out of Phil’s hand.

“Yeah I thought poppy seeds were poisonous.” Phil replied holding them out at arm’s length. Ethel rolled her eyes.

“Almost every plant on Mira or Valkrai is poisonous, you two live on land that wants to kill you, no wonder you hate everyone so much. Here we have similar plants that heal you rather than cause your death.”

Both of the princes frowned at the doctor. Sure, their barren outcrops weren’t the best of kingdoms, but they had their quarries and mines and ports. It really wasn’t that uncivilised. Was that really what all of the other kingdoms thought of them? Oh well, it wasn’t as if anyone really cared. 

“Now I suggest you eat them before I do this because it is really going to hurt.”

Phil frowned but popped the seeds into his mouth anyway, screwing his face up at the bitter taste. He was about to ask Ethel on what she intended to do that would hurt so much but before he could she grabbed his arm and twisted. Phil screamed, actually screamed. It was a mixture of the pain, surprise and worry for how much she was going to damage it further. He looked down and sighed in relief when he realised she had simply been twisting the bone into place but couldn’t help the anger bubbling inside him.

“What did you do that for!” he said in a voice that came out quite pathetically.

“You would have been even more of a little girl about it if I had warned you .”

Dan was giggling to himself and Phil shot him a look that was supposed to be threatening.

“I’m sorry, “ he gasped, trying to contain his laughing, “Its just you really did just sound like a little girl.” 

Phil tried to find something to snap back but the poppy seeds were making him feel a little drowsy and his brain wasn’t really working at full capacity. He stuck to hazily watching Dr Ethel fasten the splint on. She pulled it tight against his arm and stood back admiring her work.

“There we go, all done. The effects of the poppy seeds shouldn’t last too long, you might need to sleep it off though.”

Phil nodded groggily and got to his feet. He wobbled a little but found an arm wrapped around his waist keeping him up. He gave Dan a confused look.

“If you get any more crippled it will be impossible to move around freely and I’m not going to spend the next few months sat by a bed.” He spat, and Phil realised that it would probably take a lot longer than that for them to be friends. They set off down the corridor towards the main hall. It was slow going and Phil was pretty sure he had actually fallen asleep several times throughout the trip. Eventually they arrived back at the main hall and quietly slid in through one of the back doors. Everyone was stood up now and milling around chatting. The tables had been cleared away and the hosts were desperately trying to start up conversation.

“Ah Daniel, there you are.”

The queen of Valkrai waltzed up to her son, drink in hand but her pleasant expression changed to one of disgust when she laid eyes on Phil.

“What are you doing mingling with a Lester.” She hissed, grabbing Dan’s arm, “Come away now!”

Dan opened his mouth to protest but not before his mother had pulled him away. The rope lit up and his wrist caught in place.

“What is the meaning of this!” she gasped, stepping away from the magic and earning the attention of the rest of the room.

“It was the witch,” Dan spat, “She chained us together and it won’t be released until we get along with them.” He gestured to Phil’s parents who were stood glaring at Dan.

“And where is this witch!” the king of Valkrai boomed, “I will have her executed.”

Both princes shook their heads furiously.

“If we kill her we'll never be released.” Phil replied weakly, still a bit out of it.

“Sybil did this?” the king of Mira asked in shock. Phil nodded and the king and queen of Vivita marched up to the two families. She looked furious.

“Can’t we just have one nice meeting where you two don’t get in trouble. I want you out, now!' Phil wasn’t entirely sure if she was being serious until a few guards gathered around and ushered them out of the banquet hall.

“You can stay the night, but you must leave before sun rise tomorrow or you will be forced out." She shouted angrily after them.

The group walked along the halls in silence. Both families were pressed against opposite sides of the corridor, occasionally exchanging foul glances except Dan and Phil who had to walk awkwardly next to each other, the magic preventing them from moving more than 6ft apart. They came out of a junction and both families went their separate ways, well almost all of them. The princes both pulled in different directions but came to an abrupt stop. 

“Ah,” Phil said, realising they would have to share a room, “do you want to . .” he gestured down the corridor to where his room was. Dan shook his head.

“If we have to share a room it’s going to be mine, I hear it’s bigger anyway.” Dan replied coldly. Not wanting to be the cause of any conflict Phil responded with a tight nod but his eyes followed his family over to where they were opening the doors into their rooms.

“Alright but at least help me get my stuff, that way we can leave early tomorrow.” 

Dan groaned and rolled his eyes but set off down the left corridor anyway, pulling Phil with him. They got into Phil’s room and he quickly went about collections his stuff together all the stuff that wasn’t already crammed into the travel bag. He automatically reached down with his left arm to pick something off but winced once he realised it was the one encased in a splint.

“Could you help me with this please,” he asked weakly, the effects of the poppy seeds still not haven completely worn off. Dan let out an irritated huff.

“This is going to be even worse if you are going to be so bloody helpless.” He muttered, picking up the bag. Phil scoffed.

“Well I’m sorry someone ran into me and broke my arm.” He said accusingly, reaching over to prod Dans chest. Dan shook his head and slapped Phil’s fingers away.

“Well I’m sorry somebody has weak bones, have you ever heard of going outside?”

Phil scoffed once again.

“You of all people should know there is not enough sunlight to get the faintest of tans back home.”

Dan shrugged.

“Can’t argue with that.”

It was true though because although their kingdoms were separated they both shared pretty much the same climate. In fact the outcrop they shared was pretty much the same all over. They had the same imports and exports, they mined for the same Jews and metals and quarries for the same rock. Their ports were almost identical and they grew the same crops. The only thing that really separated the kingdoms was the feud it’s two leading families shared and the cities themselves. Valkrais cities were very neat and orderly. High stone walls surrounding neat rows of stone houses with a large stone castles nestled at their centre. The houses were roofed with slate, straw didn’t grow well on the outcrop and what little harvest there was is used for feeding livestock so thatching was rare. 

This was a stark difference from Mira’s cities which were as organised as they were warm, that being a sprawling mess of random houses built wherever there was room, spilling over the city walls and into the fields beyond. The only place this wasn’t the case was Mersey where the architects had actually planned for growth, and so had given room inside of the walls for people to build. Even so with rural communities migrating back to the cities when crops failed even that was beginning to feel a little cramped. There hasn’t been a famine on the outcrop in years, their gold, silver and diamond mines paid generously and the import and distribution of food was funded by the kingdom, or at least it was in Mira. The threat though was ever present. 

Phil had only been a child when the last famine had killed hundreds. He hadn’t seen much, being locked in the safety of the castle whist the world fell down around them, but he remembered looking through the window and seeing people lying in the street, either dead or dying. The crops had failed and the bitter cold had frozen the harbours. Every effort to retrieve food from beyond the borders failed and everyone believed the end of times had come. It had been worse in Valkrai though. They kingdoms were the same size in area but Valkrais population was far greater, as was the demand for food. If the two kingdoms could have worked together perhaps they could have helped each other out. Thinking about it Phil realised just how much the gap between the two kingdoms was affecting its people, perhaps Sybil had a point in trying to unite them one more.

“Earth to Philip.” Dan said sharply, quite rudely dragging him from his thoughts, “Is this something that is going to be happening often? Should hire a servant to follow us around and snap you out if your daydreams?”

Phil rolled his eyes.

“It’s just Phil, and you could always do it yourself.”

“I’m too lazy.” Dans responded in a deadpan voice, “You are going to have to get used to spending a lot of time in bed by the way.”

“What with you?” Phil retorted with a smirk. Dan turned a shade eerily similar to that of a boiled lobster and tried to stutter out a reply.

“I didn’t, I didn’t mean like that.” He spat out and Phil could feel the heat radiating of him at even an arm’s length. They eventually managed to haul all of Phil’ s stuff back into Dan’s room and collapsed into the bed. Dan had been right when he said his room was bigger. The window looked out over the gardens, moonlight reflecting off the lake and casting the surrounding areas in a silver glow. Dan lit a match and quietly went around the room, methodically lighting every candle he saw. Phil frowned at him, thinking it a little odd that he was going to have to blow them all out when they settled into bed. Dan notice him staring.

“I’m afraid of the dark.” He said quietly, eyes cast towards the floor. Suddenly Phil felt quite sorry for Dan, it’s not right to be ashamed of what you’re afraid of.

“It’s alright Dan I understand, I’m scared of horses if it’s any consolation.”

Dan snorted, 

“What, really? How do you go anywhere then, how did you get here?”

Phil shrugged and shuddered thinking about the horror that had been the journey here.

“I cling on and hope I don’t throw up, besides I don’t usually leave home. This is the first time I’ve been out of Mira actually.”

'Well I must say it’s gone swimmingly.” Dan replied bitterly, “I hate company and now I’m stuck with it 24/7 for the foreseeable future.” He said miserably, “I hate that stupid witch and I hate your stupid family.”

That stung and Phil had been so calm so far but he could feel himself start to slip.

“If your family are all like you then I really understand why my parents hate them so much, I’m trying to be nice and you’re just being an asshole.”

Dan gritted his teeth looking furious.

“I am the Crown Prince of Valkrai, you can’t speak to me like that!” he said stiffly puffing out his chest indignantly.

“Yeah well I’m Prince of Mira and currently attached to the Crown Prince of Valkrai so I think we share authoritative power, don’t try on me it won’t work.” 

Dan huffed and stormed over to the window which was as far as he could go without yanking the other with him. 

“You do know you’ll be coming back to Valkrai with me.” He said indignantly, “There is no way you will ever catch me spending time in Mira.” He spat out the last word with such pure hatred that even Phil flinched.

“That’s not fair!” Phil exclaimed, he really missed home, he wasn’t used to leaving for long periods of time. Dan rolled his eyes.

“You won’t be able to ride back with that arm but we, being the most civilised, had the foresight to bring a carriage. Besides I have lessons to attend, I’m sure you’re through with them by now.”

Phil wanted to scream because Dan was right. He wouldn’t be able to ride home and Dan was heir to his families throne, he would always take priority over Phil. He slumped where he was sat, letting out a whine like a wounded dog. For a moment Dan looked the tiniest bit sympathetic but it was barely visible before his face turned to the same smug expression.

“Right I’m getting changed for bed, it would be much appreciated if you would turn around, unless you want to look that is.” Phil couldn’t but flirt. It made Dan turn the prettiest shade of beetroot red and besides he may be an ass but he was sort of attractive and Phil was about as straight as his arm before it had been set, not that anyone besides his family knew. Dan spun around so that his back was facing Phil and reached for his oven clothes. They got changed in silence and sat next to each other on the bed quietly before assessing what to do. Suddenly Dan looked at Phil with mixture of pure horror and embarrassment.

“Um Phil, I need to use the toilet.” Phil also turned very red, the realisation that this was going to be happen a lot making him whimper a little. They would have to wash together as well, this was not going to be fun.

“I stand as far away as possible and close my eyes and you hurry up?” Phil suggested and Dan nodded albeit hesitantly, there wasn’t as thought they had many other options. They went into the bathroom and Phil turned around trying desperately not to think about the fact that Dan was on the loo behind him. Unfortunately Dan seemed to be taking his time and Phil’s patience was running out.

“What’s taking so long.” Phil hissed, hearing Dan shuffle behind him.

“I’m sorry but I’m not exactly used to people being in the same room as me when I piss.” 

After about ten minutes he had managed to relieve himself, as had Phil and they were both laid on the bed, a wall of pillows stacked between them.

“This is my side and that is yours, you cross over onto my side I won’t hesitate to punch you.” Dan hissed, rolling over so he faced the wall. Phil rolled his eyes but agreed.

“Same goes for you,” he muttered, pulling the duvet over his face, “And don’t steal the sheets either.”

It seemed that Dan had already fallen asleep though, so it was pointless. Despite being well and truly exhausted it took Phil a while to drift off. He was painfully homesick and the thought that he wouldn’t be seeing his own room for the foreseeable future and that he would be separated from his family terrified him. They had always been so close but there was no way they were going to stay with him in Valkrai. They despised that county and his father and Martyn had a country to run while his mother supervised, she had to keep her boys in check. He was an adult, he could Handel being away from his mother fine, it just hurt to know they would be separated for so long. 

This was truly scary for him and he felt as though he had no control. What if he and Dan never got on. He’d never be able to live a normal life, get married and have kids. He’d often though about what he would like to do in the future. He had his responsibilities as prince of course but it would be his brother doing most of the work. He would basically be free to do whatever he wanted. He could take his inheritance and live his own life in peace except now that wouldn’t be the case. He dreaded to think what he would do if he could never leave, once Dan became king he would probably never see his home again. He shook his head of that though and instead concentrated on the problems directly at hand.

Firstly the bodily functions had to be worked out. They had decided on a system for using the bathroom, they would need to figure out how they were going to wash and they would have to eat together. Phil found his face heating up as it dawned on him that he was going to have real trouble with another thing he did regularly. It wasn’t uncommon for Phil to have someone in bed, there he said it. He had needs and there were more than a few people who were willing to help him out with such things. His parents were aware of this although it wasn’t something they really talked about. He was bi and they were fine with that it’s just he knew they were hoping it would be a woman he finally settled with. He doubted Dan would have the same problems though, from what he had heard of the younger man he barely left his room except for when he had no choice and don’t really have anybody close to him. Phil wasn’t surprised really, he was very awkward not to mention rude.

It took a while but he managed to calm his thoughts enough to make him sleep. He was woken abruptly the next morning by being pulled by his wrist off the bed. He winced as he landed on his splinted arm but no further damage had been done.

“Sorry I forgot.” Dan said groggily as he stood by the bed. It was still dark although the first signs of dawn were beginning to lighten the horizon. The candles had Burt almost down to the base by now and Phil cursed himself for not remembering to blow them out.

“Hurry up we need to leave, everyone else is ready.” Dan said coldly before turning his back to get dressed. 

There were voices coming from the corridor and they seemed to be arguing over something. In all honestly Phil wasn’t supposed. It seemed like nobody could get along here anymore. He quickly changed into some comfortable travel clothes and let Dan pull him out of the room, his mind too hazy to think clearly. His mum was stood outside the room waiting, she had a grave look on her face.

“I’m sorry Phil sweetheart, I know you want to go home but we can’t take you with that arm. You’ll have to go back with the Howells.” She glared at Dan with venomous eyes before bringing her son in for a hug. 

“I know you’ll be fine, you’re brave. I’ll send you letters and you must come and visit soon. Hopefully we’ll get this worked out, I’ll talk to Sybil when I get home.” With that she kissed him goodbye and set off after the servants helping with her stuff. Martyn sent him a wave, which Phil returned. Two servants went into Dans room and came out carrying Dan and Phil’s stuff. They marched the two princes outside and towards a waiting coach. There were two, one for them and one for the rest of the Howell family. Clearly they couldn’t bare to spend the trip with a Lester.

They both sat opposite each other in awkward silence. Pretty soon the carriage started moving and they left the capital of Vivita. Phil spent most of the time staring out of the window. Partly because he was interested by all of the plants and trees they passed and partly because he wanted to puke. He wished he had a body that didn’t fail him at every turn but alass he was second born and it seemed as though all of his parents good genetics went into his brother.

“Why don’t you ever leave Mira?” Dan asked suddenly, startling Phil a little.

“Um well I guess I get anxious about new places,” he said quietly, “And there is no need to leave really, I don’t usually go on royal visits with my family and I get travel sick so . . .' 

Dan nodded,

“I wish I could stay at home all of the time, I hate being outside.” He replied, fiddling with the hem of his shirt, “You’re luck I suppose, you don’t really have that much pressure on you.”

Phil shrugged,

“Yeah I guess, I can pretty much do whatever I want, I’m guessing you can’t.” Phil didn’t think he would ever be able to be king. There were so many people that would count on you, so many decisions to make. It wouldn’t be an easy job.

“Do you have any free time? I’m guessing you’re really busy.”

“Yes of course I have free time, although I spend most of it sleeping.” Phil’s eyes were downcast and he realised that there was no way he was going to be able to do any of the things he usually did. He could read maybe, while Dan was in his lessons and he would probably be dragged around to see plays at the theatre and all of the other things royals were expected to do but he wouldn’t have his garden or his home. This was going to be torture.

The rest of the day was passed staring out if the window and Phil was proud of himself when he only vomited once, almost cracking a smile when he noticed how disgusted the other prince looked. They stopped off at a coach house briefly to eat and rest but carried on through the night. At some point Dan had shifted into the same side of the carriage and nodded off, his head resting on Phil’s shoulder. He felt a little awkward as Dan leaned on him but he didn’t want to annoy him but shifting him. Besides the weight was warm and comfortable. It was late and the constant clicking of the horses hooves on road were pulling him off to sleep. This time it didn’t take too long.

Valkrai was closer to Vivita than Mira, so it took far less time to get there, especially when they travelled through the night. Still, Phil was glad when he was finally able to stop, go out into the fresh air and take in the sight of the capital of Valkrai. It was just so much different from Mersey, so much neater. The roads were all lined with cobble whilst it was a mixture of stone, dirt and straw back home and the markets all seemed to be concentrated in one place rather than random stalls littering the streets. Even the police force looked more organised. It wasn’t as though Mersey was a bad place to live, it just wasn’t very controlled. The centre castle was huge, built with great grey stones and perfectly symmetrical. They pulled up in the courtyard and quickly got out, both princes eager to stretch their legs.

“I want to go to bed.” Dan groaned and Phil sort of agreed, despite it only being two in the afternoon. He didn’t have time however to state this because he was already being pulled up a flight of dull grey stairs. Oh yeah, he didn’t get a choice in anything he did. Dan took him to his own bedroom, opening a door that lead into a large ornate chamber with a double bed against the furthest wall with various cupboards and shelves adorning everywhere else. Everything was either red, gold or grey and Phil missed the greens and blues of his room.

Dan practically launched himself into bed and lay on top of the sheets face down. Phil rolled his eyes but set his gaze on a bookshelf no too far from the bed. He walked over to it slowly, rejoicing ever so slightly when he did not feel the magic tug. The books weren’t that interesting, mainly political but he spotted a dusty one named ‘Medicinal Plants and their Uses’ which didn’t appear to be too dull. He was a little tired but not enough to warrant the amount of time he knew Dan would spend asleep, so he could read a little. Dan was already softly snoring; his curly brown had falling over his eyes. He looked sort of cute actually. Phil felt himself blush, he really had to stop thinking about that.

He had managed to plough through about half of the book before Dan actually stirred from his slumber. Phil kept his eyes glued to the book as Dan yawned and stretched. His hair was messy and falling slightly over his eyes which were bleary with sleep. His gaze locked onto Phil and he looked slightly startled before relaxing again.

“How long have I been asleep?” He murmured, digging the heels of his hands into his eyes to clear away whatever had gathered in them over the last few hours.

“A while.” Phil responded but his voice was slightly stiff. He didn’t see why Dan got to be comfortable in his own bed while he was stuck in a kingdom he didn’t know. Dan looked slightly annoyed at the tone but didn’t comment on it.

“What time is it?” he said sitting up, and looking around as though he was expecting someone else to be there. Phil shrugged. There wasn’t a clock in Dan’s room and he had been of course confined here,

“Don’t know, you should get yourself a clock.”

“Someone’s being pissy.” Dan replied getting to his feet, “Come on let’s go and find my servant, I want something to eat.”

Phil sighed and reluctantly put the book down and obediently followed Dan, it wasn’t as if he had a choice. The corridors were narrow and much darker than the ones back home. Phil felt the magic pull him forward and he noticed how fast Dan’s pace was. He didn’t like the dark, this corridor must freak him out. He jogged to catch up and walked by Dan’s side. The other prince shot him what was probably going to be a dirty look but ended up actually being an awkward glance.

Eventually they came to a door which Fan knocked on. It was quickly opened by a woman of around twenty. Phil saw that inside was a small room with some basic furniture.

“Charlotte there you are.” He said quite impatiently and Phil realised they must have wandered into the servants quarters, “Will you have my dinner brought for me in about ten minutes and I need a bath running.” He said sharply. The servant looked startled for a moment before nodding her head,

“Sorry sir, I didn’t realise you were going to be back so early,” she replied nervously, eying up Phil warily. Dan eyes softened slightly and he looked a little ashamed of himself for snapping,

“It’s alright neither did we, this is Phil by the way. Some witch tied us together with magic so he is going to be staying here for a while.” Charlotte looked thoroughly confused but gasped when the pieces seemed to click in her head.

“Phil Lester?” she enquired, looking Phil up and down, “Wow sir I feel sorry for you.”

Phil felt a little hurt but count stop himself letting out a sarcastic retort.

“You know I’m stood right here you know.” He said rolling his eyes.

The servant merely shrugged and set off towards the kitchens. Clearly nobody in this castle had any respect for him. Dan was smiling ever so slightly which only increased when he noticed Phil's stormy looks.

“Hey come on you have to admit you’re not the best person I could have been stuck with.”

“I’d be perfectly fine being stuck with me.” Phil replied indignantly earning a sigh from Dan.

“Of course you would.” He replied, shaking his head.

“So are you going to give me a tour of this castle or something, seeing as I’m sort of stuck here for the foreseeable future.” Phil said looking him around himself. They had gone down quite a few steps to get down into the servants quarters and he didn’t really think he wanted to go back up them all again in one trip. Exercise wasn’t something he particularly enjoyed.”

Dan scoffed,

“What so you can tell your parents all about our defences, I don’t think so.”

Phil felt like hitting his head against the nearest wall and let out a groan of frustration,

“That is the whole bloody point of us being tied together. By the time we will be separated our families shouldn’t be arguing anymore. Besides you would be there to hear me tell my family and so could stop me, not to mention the fact that I am living here. I worry about your future kingdoms sometimes I really do.”

Dan looked sort of embarrassed but shrugged it off,

“Fine whatever, you can’t blame me for not trusting you though. You could secretly want to murder me, you just don’t want to have to have to drag me around for eternity.” He said backing away from Phil.

“Seriously Dan if I wanted you dead I would have already killed you. Besides I wouldn’t make it out of this castle alive, especially if I was dragging your fat ass along with me.” He said coldly. Dan feigned offence and held his hand up to his mouth,

“I have a fat ass do I now.” He said but his expression changed to a mischievous grin and he suddenly launched himself at Phil. Being admittedly stronger than the older prince Dan knocked him over with ease and Phil felt himself hit the floor with a thump. Before he could get back up or even let out a groan there was a weight settled on his stomach. He looked up to see Dan had sat on him.

“Oh come on.” He groaned, a little winded from the fall, “How old are you, ten?”

“No I’m eighteen but I’ll take that as a compliment as clearly I am aging well.” Dan replied raising his eyebrows, wiggling his bum a bit to earn a yelp from Phil.

“Get off.” He whined trying to push the other man off him. Dan stayed put, laughing hysterically at Phil's expense. He reached up to grab Dan and try and push him away but Dan caught his wrists and pinned them to the floor. Phil winced at his arm being held down because it was still extremely sore but Dan didn't seem to notice.

“Haha! I’ve got you now Lester.” He said triumphantly but his victory was short lived and Phil managed to bring his knee up and hit him right in the back. Dan let go in shock and Phil took the moment of distraction to his own advantage, flipping Dan over so he was on top. Dan looked quite surprised and gritted his teeth when he realised he couldn’t move and for a moment Phil thought he was in big trouble. This moment ended however when Dan started giggling uncontrollable.

“Ok you win.” He said a little reluctantly but in good humour, “Now get off.”

Phil did what he was told and they headed back to Dan’s room with him. 

"You should be careful you know, you already broke one of my bones."

Dan looked quite guilty all of a sudden and eyed up the splint on Phil's arm.

“Sorry, I forgot," he said shuffling on his feet," I’ll give you a tour tomorrow, but I want my dinner now.”

Phil nodded and they walked in silence.

After a few hours they had both eaten and Phil was well and truly ready to pass out. He hadn’t slept earlier like Phil and overall this had been a very stressful day. Dan seemed to have softened slightly and while he still seemed a little reserved and reluctant to talk much he was in a much better mood.

“You know what Phil,” he murmured quietly as they lay side by side on the bed, “I think I might not mind being friends with you.”

Phil smiled and allowed his eyes to close, pausing for a moment before replying.

“Me neither Dan”


	2. Chapter 2

It had been six months since the council meeting that had ended in disaster. Dan had surprisingly been quite happy. He was a lonely person and usually tried to push people away, but since he couldn’t actually physically push Phil away, it sort of forced him to interact a bit more. He had found out that they had a lot in common, and that it was a little refreshing to have someone who didn’t give into him immediately. He was so used to everyone immediately doing what he said and pampering him which was nice, but it could be a little infuriating sometimes. Phil honestly didn’t care about status or respect although he was generally a nice person, so Dan could mess around with him.

It had taken a while, but they had finally managed to synchronise sleeping patterns, so they slept and woke at the same time and had figured out a system for washing, eating and other essential things. Of course, they argued and got on each other’s nerves, but they were sort of forced to make up so nothing really lasted that long. Dan had grown to like Phil a lot and he liked his personality. He was cheery and bright but also a little sarcastic. He also shared quite a dark sense of humour and wasn’t quite as innocent as he let on. They both weren’t exactly social butterflies and enjoyed reading and chatting to one another. Dan had never had a best friend before, but he was enjoying it, to a point.

One of the major problems with this whole being tied together debacle was that it had caused an enormous strain on both participants family relationships. Dan's family still despised Phil and everything and everyone associated with him, and Phil family was several hundred miles away in a different kingdom. Dan's family avoided Phil at all costs, they didn’t eat dinner together, they didn’t speak to each other and if the king or queen wanted to talk to their son in private he was required to cover his ears and look away. Everyone Dan used to be friends, or as close as they could get, avoided him now, forever casting dirty looks in Phil’s direction. One of the maids had actually spat at him once, it was clear Phil was not welcome here.

Phil himself grew very unhappy after a while which in turn upset Dan. Dan had suffered from depression almost all of his life so he knew what it felt like and he knew how horrible it was to experience. Since Phil had arrived and after the first few weeks when he struggled to deal with the fact that he was stuck with somebody he had been told all of his life to hate Dan had been getting better. He had someone to pull him out of bed when he was low and someone who talked to him and he could talk too. Something so large would never just go away on its own but Phil helped. That’s why it hurt him so much to see Phil so sad all the time. He would have spells where he was his usual happy self but then someone would make a comment to Dan about him or one of Dan’s parents would give him a look that reminded him of just how alone he was here.

Dan still had his family even if they didn’t talk to him as much and a plethora of familiar faces he could turn to, but Phil had nothing. Perhaps that was why he was so willing to become friends with Dan almost straight away. He sent letters to his family which seemed to be a bit more willing to accept Dan that Dan’s family had to Phil, but he missed them greatly. He missed his own home and his friends back there. He couldn’t go anywhere on his own and he couldn’t visit back home. He was forced to sit through all of Dan’s lessons and go on every royal visit with him, so it wasn’t very fun. Sometimes it was difficult to get him to do anything.

They were both sat in a lesson now, Dan’s teacher was droning on about something political that he clearly didn’t find remotely interesting and Phil was staring blankly out of the window. He had a small stuffed toy in his hand, a lion. His mum had sent it to him as a reminder of home and it was now very difficult to part him from it. It was usually hidden away in a pocket but occasionally made an appearance when he was stressed or bored. When you spend literally twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week with someone you end up starting to care for them, even if they do get on your nerves occasionally so Dan needed to do something to cheer him up. Dan dismissed the teacher after about half an hour because he wasn’t really learning anything and because he was worried for his own sanity as well as Phil’s.

He gently woke Phil from his daydream and decided they needed to get a bit of fresh air. It must be frustrating for Phil because his family wanted to make friends. They clearly put their son before an old family feud and he wasn’t even the heir to the throne. Dan’s family wouldn’t even entertain the idea of making friends, or even a truce. Dan couldn’t see why they let their hatred blind them from what was really important. He was actually quite happy, but they must have thought he was miserable. Both he and Phil had decided for Dan’s sake to pretend they hated each other whenever they were in the company of others. A few servants such a Charlotte and the teachers knew that they got along but the rest of the staff and Royals didn’t.

They were walking through the garden now. It was a Wednesday, so the gardeners were on their day off and they were alone. Dan liked flowers. They were pretty and there were a particularly depressing group of black orchids that were his favourites. He couldn’t touch them because they were poisonous, as most things in the garden were, but he liked to look. Phil liked plants as well. One of the head gardeners grew many exotic plants in the greenhouse and they found themselves in there a lot. Phil liked cacti and succulents of which he had a strange habit of naming them and Dan had found his bedroom, well their bedroom, becoming more like a forest every time, they visited.  
Margret who was the head gardener rarely (if ever) took a day off. Apparently, she liked her job too much to stay away from it. As they walked towards the greenhouse she could be seen pottering around inside, apron on as usual. Phil perked up a bit when he saw her,

“Hey boys,” she greeted cheerfully, “What can I do for you today. I just got a lovely new import of Bromeliads. I was wondering if you would like one.”

Margret was also one of the people who knew of Dan and Phil's friendship and was forever cooing over them. She was from a small town on the border of Mira and so had crossed over into the kingdom a few times. Apparently, they had the nicest pine forests she had ever seen and being as well travelled as she was everyone took her word for it. She had the abilities to grow even the rarest plants and people came from miles around to admire her work. She would help introducing new species to the garden and knew how to care for the trickier plants in the collection. It got very cold in the winter so few of her truly exotic plants ended up outside of the main greenhouse and castle. Others that she decided could withstand the temperatures were wrapped in cloth to protect them from frost making the garden a rather odd place to be around that time.

It was currently autumn and the great oak and willow trees that were planted along the garden walls were beginning to lose their leaves. Very few of the flowers were in bloom but it still looked spectacular. Inside the greenhouse the air was warm and humid, and a variety of large cacti lined the walls, overshadowed by big sweeping plants with leaves as big as dinner plates. Shelves held flowers of every colour, sorted into a rainbow of petals. Two long tables in the middle held pots of aloe, lilies, haworthia and small cacti. At the end was a large circle of flowers with fat green leaves and vivid red petals.

“Thank you,” Phil said smiling happily and picking up one of the smaller specimens, “I shall call her Brona.’

Dan cocked his head to the side.

“If it’s a bromeliad shouldn’t it be called Broma?”

Phil shook his head,

“Broma isn’t a name,” he said rolling his eyes, “There was a character called Brona in one of the books I read so that must be a name. I take the christening of each of my house plants very seriously Dan” He said, examining the succulent closely. Dan nodded although he didn’t see why it couldn’t be changed. Margret looked quite amused and pleased with herself for making the older prince smile, she had always been quite affectionate towards him. Perhaps we it was because they were quite similar, both in personality and in looks.

Not many people moved to Mira. It wasn’t the most appealing of places and if people wanted to work in the mines they went to Valkrai because at least it was a little warmer and closer to main civilisation. As a result, the gene pool wasn’t the most diverse. Whilst in Valkrai most people had brown eyes and fair skin there were areas where people of all kinds lived. Sometimes it caused conflict because every race and religion have their own ideas and sometimes it can be difficult to cater to them all, but they tried. Mira had tried for years to encourage immigration bit unfortunately it wasn’t the sort of place people want to live. As a result, most people shared the same pale skin and eyes with darkish hair. Residents of the kingdom were quite distinguishable from the darker skin tones and darker eyes of more southern countries.

They thanked Margret and headed back up to the room. It was really Dan’s room anymore since he had to share in with Phil. They had originally slept top to toe but found it annoying so now they just slept as far apart as they could on opposite sides of the bed. This would inevitably lead to some awkward moments if they rolled over in their sleep but when you are magically chained to someone personal space basically goes out of the window. Phil cradled the plant happily in his arms and placed it carefully on the windowsill next to Ventura the venus fly trap and pong the pinguicula.

“I thought you were keeping that windowsill for carnivorous plants.” Dan said reaching for the bookshelf, “You didn’t want the others to be upset by their dietary needs.”

Phil shrugged and adjusted the plants so that ‘Brona’ was in the middle. He was lucky it was such a large room or Dan might have been less willing to accommodate them all.

“She’s quite small, I don’t want her bullied by the larger plants.”

Ghost the graptoveria lived on top of the bookshelf along with Carys the crassula and Huw the huboki. The other window shelf contained the cactus clan, an Echinopsis candican called Candycane and a trio of Mammillaria called spike, spine and pike. Phil may have been starting to go a little mad but if there was something in this castle that made him happy Dan wasn’t going to take it away from him,

“Fine, he sighed.” They both grabbed a book and went to sit on the bed. Dan couldn’t go riding anymore since it was too dangerous, with Phil being an incompetent rider and the possibility that they could easily pull one another off the horses if they strayed too far apart so he had to find other ways of entertainment. Be didn’t used to be a big fan of reading but it was something he spent a lot of time doing now. Since Dan had no more lessons and the king and queen were away visiting a friend they didn’t have all that much to do.

For a while the only sound in the room was the occasional turn of a page. Dan looked up from his book to see Phil had fallen asleep and was quietly snoring. His head was rested against the headboard and the book he had been reading had fallen to his lap. His eyes were closed and hair a little tussled. It was getting quite long since he hadn’t had it cut in a while and had fallen over his ears. His mousy brown roots were starting to come through and Dan was considering whether he should also dye his hair since it looked so good on Phil. He fought the urge to reach out and touch it but eventually gave in and let himself play with the other man’s hair.

It was soft and despite being messy his hands carded through it was ease. Phil sighed in his sleep, leaning into the touch. Dan couldn’t help but smile as Phil settled himself onto Dan’s chest, Dan continued to stroke it gently for a while until Phil’s breathing went completely steady and he was truly deep asleep. Dan knew he shouldn’t be developing feelings for him. He was a prince of Mira for god’s sake, that was two things his parents wouldn’t be too pleased about. The fact that he was from Mira and the fact that he was a prince, less specifically a man. So what if he was gay? He had always sort of known, it’s just he was supposed to produce heirs and carry on the family line and unfortunately you can’t do that with a man.

He should really push Phil off so that they weren’t cuddling basically but the weight was comfortable and made him feel warm. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on his book for much longer he carefully placed it on his bedside table, dog-eared at the page he was on. The librarian would probably murder him for that, but it was just a dusty old book not an antique. He shifted so that he was lying down with his head propped up against a pillow. Phil had drawn his arms into himself, but his head remained resting on Dan. He’d been a bit touchy about people touching his arms since Dan had accidentally broken one. Dan had dragged him around everywhere when they first arrived back at the castle and hadn’t really noticed the bond when it pulled since he was the one pulling but Phil would always hiss in pain and rub his wrist subconsciously every time it was yanked. He kept quiet for about a week but after a particularly hard pull he decided he was going to pull back and Dan realised just how much it hurt. Now they walked a little closer and avoided that as much as possible.  
Dan must have fallen asleep because Phil was shaking his shoulders gently,

“Dan wake up, Charlotte wants to know what you are having for dinner.”

Dan groaned, trying but ultimately failing to push Phil away but he managed to pull the blanket Dan was trying to cover his head with off him forcing Dan to come to terms with the sunlight coming in through the window. Phil must have woken before him and tucked him into bed. Dan blushed Scarlett at the thought but Phil seemed unphased by it. Dan decided he didn’t want to eat in here today, if they did that neither of the boys would be bothered to come out again until tomorrow and he was mind-numbingly bored. His parents were away so they could probably eat in the main hall without getting too many dirty looks.

“Tell her we’ll eat in the main hall today,” he said groggily, “I’m sick of this room.”  
Phil nodded in agreement, between Phil’s growing houseplant collection and Dan’s general reluctance to do anything that requires any amount of effort the room was starting to get extremely messy.

“I'll ask if one of the maids can come and do a bit of cleaning while we’re there.” Phil said smiling, carefully placing the blanket back over Dan’s head earning a giggle from the other man.

“You’ve woken me up now, you have to deal with me.” he replied throwing the blanket aside and reaching over to tickle the other Prince. Phil squealed and rolled over, landing on the floor with a thump. Dan was practically wheezing and stuck his head over the bed to check if Phil was alright. He was met with a pillow to the face and jumped back in shock.

“Hey, you have a weapon, that’s not fair!” Dan shouted as Phil assaulted him. Suddenly Dan's hand darted out and he shoved a handful of feathers into Phil's face. Phil started spluttering and Dan decided he was going to make his break for it. He jumped of the bed and darted across the room, slamming the door shut behind him. He set off at a sprint down the corridor but didn’t get more than six feet before he was yanked off his feet by the magic that held the two princes together snapping tight. Dan landed on the floor with a groan which was followed by a bang as Phil collided with the door. Of course, Dan somehow had managed to forget the whole reason Phil was here in the first place. He walked back to the door and opened it to find Phil sat on the floor looking a bit dazed. He must have hit the wood with considerable force since there was blood dripping from his nose.

“Nice one Dan,” he said in a voice that was a little bit more than pissed off.  
Dan grimaced helped the older man back to the bed where he sat pinching the bridge of his nose,

“Sorry, I forgot. I guess I won though.”

“Once I stop bleeding I am so getting you back,” Phil replied but his tone was a bit softer now. He reached over to slap Dan with the pillow and Dan let him this time.

“You wouldn’t get hurt so much if you weren’t so clumsy,” Dan said indignantly,

“I wouldn’t get hurt so much if I wasn’t attached to you.” Phil corrected raising an eyebrow. Dan shrugged and grimaced,

“Oh well, there’s nothing we can do about that.”

Phil sighed, and Dan reached over to encase him in a hug. Phil rested his head on his shoulder and closed his eyes. They sat in silence for a few minutes and Dan was tempted to start playing with his hair again. His nose had stopped bleeding, so he wasn’t dripping all over the other prince which was a relief. Phil moved after a while and to Dan’s slight disappointment and after cleaning up most of the blood (they didn’t want to give the maid a heart attack) they headed down to the hall.

As they walked down the grand staircase and entered the grand banquet hall Dan felt Phil stiffen. He didn’t really like being in unfamiliar places and the only time either of them had come into the main hall in the last six months had been during the first main meal they had with the king and queen of Valkrai. The glares Phil were sent put him quite on edge and when the king had made a comment on Phil’s brother he had snapped. If the same thing had happened now Dan would have stood up when he realised the other getting irritated, knowing they were going to be making a quick exit but at that time they were both fairly knew to the concept of being attached and neither had learned to predict the other actions and move accordingly. As a result, Phil had attempted to walk out but had pulled Dan off his chair in the process. Phil had been grabbed rather harshly by one of the guards and the queen was furious. They hadn’t come down here since.

Dan gently reached for Phil’s hand and squeezed reassuringly. Phil shot him a smile and Dan expected him to let go but he didn’t. His hand was warm and soft, and Dan realised he quite liked holding it. To be fair Phil was the only person he had any real physical contact with in the last six months, he was bound to crave it after a while. Saying that though he had never enjoyed cuddling with anyone as much as he did with Phil, as 'accidental' as it was. It wasn’t his fault Phil was so pretty. He tried to use the feelings aside and tell himself they weren’t real, but he was in denial and he knew it.  
He looked over to Phil who was humming gently to himself as they sat down. There were some bread and meat on his plate, but he just picked at it.

“You need to eat Phil,” Dan said quietly, concern lacing his voice. He had noticed the older prince hadn’t been eating that much lately and it probably wasn’t doing him any favours seeing as how he was constantly getting injured. To be fair neither had he but there was a lot of times when he got so caught up inside his own head that he lost his appetite, so he was used to it,

“I’ve just got a bit of a headache.” Phil replied, suddenly not wanting to meet the other’s eyes. Dan pulled him closer into his side and inspected Phil head, much to his protests. There didn’t appear to be any major lumps, but he had lost some blood when he hit the door and probably just needed to sleep it off. Dan looked round and saw a few servants giving him a look that resembled sour milk and realised he was still holding Phil who was gently pressed against his side. He automatically shoved Phil away and the other man shuffled down the bench a little looking downright miserable. Dan regretted the action immediately but when he went to move back to Phil he jerked away and purposely slid along the bench as far as the magic tether would allow him. Dan huffed and went back to his food. It wasn’t his fault they had a front to keep up, why was Phil being so sulky anyway?

Phil stared at his food but didn’t even bother to touch it. He wanted to go home. He had been fine earlier; the arrival of a new houseplant having temporarily sated his homesickness and Dan’s fondness for wearing away his loneliness. Unfortunately, it can’t last forever, and he glanced bitterly over at the servants who regarded him as scum. Dan was avoiding his eyes and no matter how hard he tried Phil couldn’t shake the feeling that Dan didn’t care about him. He thought that after six months and the fact that they had fallen asleep in each other’s arms more times than not (not like Dan would admit that he meant) they would be at the point where Dan wouldn’t react to every disapproving gaze by shoving him away.

He plucked a letter from his pocket, one his brother had sent him a few days ago. It was signed by his parents as well and there was a small drawing attached from his personal maid’s daughter. She was just coming up to her third birthday so really it was just a bunch of scribbles, but he appreciated the gesture. He missed life back at the castle, how close everyone was. Here it seemed as though there was much more of a distinct line between the royals and everyone else, Phil hated it. While Dan may be friendly to Charlotte and the cook he didn’t interact with them and they of course didn’t want anything to do with Phil so the only people he could talk to was Dan and Margret. Dan must miss talking to others as well, but he preferred to be alone (or as alone as possible when you are tied to someone) while Phil enjoyed company and as much as Dan was fine he had a tendency to be quite bossy and they did what he wanted and beside visiting the garden he hadn’t really done anything he wanted.

Oh well, it wasn’t as though he could do anything about it. He noticed Dan glancing at the letter he held in his hand and quickly shoved it into his pocket and turned to face away from him. They would make up later, they didn’t really have a choice, but Phil wanted him to know he was mad. He knew he was feeling awful and yet he still couldn’t ignore the fact that someone was looking at them strangely. He understood he may have been acting a little childish, but he hurt, and he missed his family and the only friend he had only seemed to care about what others thought. He put his head on the table and closed his eyes to try and rid himself of the headache that had been getting worse since the accident. He didn’t notice when the pain started to fade, and his body became sluggish, but he welcomed the feeling all the same, eventually drifting off to sleep.

Dan had gotten up to leave only for find Phil was gently snoring with his head on the table. Dan didn’t want to wake him and besides he looked far too content to be wretched back into reality. He thought back to the letter He had been holding earlier and how sad it made him look. Mira wasn’t too far away, and his parents weren’t coming back for another five days, maybe they could go for a quick visit. He shuffled closer to Phil and lifted his head off the table and moved it so that it was resting on his shoulder. Perhaps this whole business was diving him mad. One minute he was mad at the other prince and the next he wanted nothing more than to make him smile again.

What would happen if they never got leave each other’s side. Dan would become King but then again maybe he wouldn’t. Would his parents still entrust the throne to him given that he wouldn’t be able to produce an heir, at least not without Phil being present. Would their resentment for the Prince of Mira really prevent him from his birth-right? He really needed to get his parents to just be friendly just for once.  
They weren’t bad people, they were just reluctant to change. Dan just needed to make them understand that all they needed to do was accept that they could be friends with people even if they did not share the same beliefs and values. Their own hatred was what was causing most of this misery. He missed his family, he missed being able to talk with them in private and he missed how they used to eat together and he missed being able to talk to his mum and his brother. There was also a little part of him however that knew that perhaps even he wasn’t so keen to be separated from Phil. Once the spell had been removed he would stay in Valkrai and Phil would go back to Mira. Phil was the only proper friend he had ever had and while their relationship may be a tad bit dysfunctional he didn’t want it to end.

Phil shuffled slightly on the bench next to Dan and the younger prince quickly removed the arm that had snaked its way around the elder before he woke. He opened his eyes blearily and looked rather concerned as to how he seemed to have magically teleported onto Dan’s shoulder.

“Let’s get you to bed,” Dan sighed, gently helping Phil to his feet. Phil didn’t question the sudden change in behaviour, it had become almost too much of a regular occurrence for them to fall out and then almost instantaneously make up. They both new from experience that being attached to someone you were trying to give the silent treatment was no fun.

“Sorry for pushing you away Phil, I know you aren’t feeling so great.” Dan whispered quietly, and Phil nodded,

“Sorry for overreacting.” He returned, and they walked in a comfortable silence. The maid had been in and cleaned up a bit. She had also run a bath for Dan, but he wasn’t sure if Phil would remain awake long enough for him to take it.

“You go ahead Dan, I'll just wait over here,” Phil responded, seemingly reading Dan’s thoughts. Dan went to reject but Phil had already slumped against the nearest wall and closed his eyes,

“Don’t fall asleep again,” Dan warned as he went to undress but it was wasted on Phil who was already gently snoring.

“God damn it Phil.” Dan muttered but there was a fondness to his voice that surprised even him. Once he had finished washing he changed into some bed clothes and lifted Phil into bed. He was skinny and a little smaller than Dan but for someone who wasn’t particularly fond of exercise those few steps from the bathroom to the adjacent bedroom where a little too much for Dan. He dumped the other prince on top of the covers rather ungracefully, breathing heavily but luckily, he remained asleep.

“Night Phil.” He muttered and pulled the covers over them both. Phil snuggled into his side slightly and Dan resisted the urge to move away. He liked Phil he really did but he wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted them to be.

They were friends and that was simple, except it wasn’t. Dan wasn’t gay, and he didn’t like men. He was going to grow to become King where he would take a woman he hardly knew to be his wife and she would give him an heir. That was how it had been for decades and that’s how his parents expected it to continue. It was hard to remember that though when Phil was pressed into his side and all Dan wanted to do was lay a kiss on his forehead. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn’t been with anyone in the last six months that was giving him these thoughts but then again, he couldn’t imagine it being anyone but Phil now. Part of him hoped that Phil felt the same, that the cuddles when they were both feeling crap and kind words when neither could sleep meant something but what did that make them? If Phil didn’t feel the same, it would year him apart but in the long run perhaps it would be better. Why did these thoughts have to invade his brain, right when he was finally getting used to the fact that he was stuck with someone?

Dan sighed and settled into his pillow staring at the ceiling. Phil was warm, and Dan couldn’t help but want to stay like this for a long time. The other man’s soft breathing was pulling him in, encouraging his eyes to drift shut and his mind to quieten its thoughts but Dan was reluctant to let himself go. This was one of the rare moments he got where he felt as though he had some time to himself and he wasn’t going to waste it. He had time to think and evaluate his next move When it came to his big decisions. Most of them revolved around Phil to be fair but then again, he was now the person he shared his life with.

He knew it was only a matter of time before Phil’s misery would catch up on Dan. He also knew that when that happened he wouldn’t be making it much better. It happened occasionally, he would have days where getting out of bed was hard and he felt nothing was right in the world. Some people would think him overdramatic and lazy, but he couldn’t help it. He needed to do something that would help them both and maybe a trip to Phil’s family would help. The only problem was that there wasn’t a lot of time to do it. Dan set his jaw and resolved to wake early the next morning, so he could start making plans. For now, though it was perhaps time to join Phil in dream land, just so he wasn’t a complete mess tomorrow.

By the time morning rolled around Dan for once actually felt quite well rested. Phil was still asleep, but Dan didn’t mind giving him a few more minutes. The birds were flying around outside his window and while further south their shrill calls may sound foreboding, threatening even here on the outcrop they were the closest thing to birdsong you are going to get. The pale morning light streamed in through the open curtains and clouds were visible through the window. It wasn’t raining though so that was good. Dan was about to rouse Phil put the other prince groaned and prized his eyes open before he had a chance.

“mornin’.” Phil mumbled as he pushed the covers aside. He was still in his clothes from yesterday, but his blue jacket had been cast aside in the night so only his shirt remained.

“Morning!” Dan replied rather enthusiastically, eliciting a confused look from Phil. Usually, Dan was not a morning person. The younger prince practically dragged Phil out of bed and they were in the main hall before he had time to protest.

“Charlotte!” Dan called, and the servant seemed to appear out of thin air, “Tell the stables to prepare two horses and enough supplies for a few days away, we are going on a little trip.”

“Where are we going?” Phil did look adorable. He was stood with no shoes and rumpled clothes with the most clueless look on his face. His hair was sticking up in all directions and his glasses were askew.

“I thought that since my parents are away, and you are so homesick we might visit Mersey for a few days.” Dan replied, a grin spreading across his face.  
Phil smiled so wide that it almost looked as though it was painful and pulled Dan in for a hug. Dan had to gasp for breath the other was squeezing him so hard.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Phil squealed, hardly able to contain his excitement. He dragged Dan back up to their room in a similar fashion to how Dan had gotten him out of it in the first place and rushed over to the cupboard to throw some fresh clothes on.

By the time both boys had gotten ready, there were two tall bay horses saddled up in the courtyard and a bag full of supplies being handed to them by Charlotte. Neither really wanted the King and Queen to know of their trip so they wouldn’t be taking any servants, and everyone was sworn to secrecy, simply because the Queen would throw a fit if she knew. Everything was sorted, well almost everything.

Phil was eyeing up the horse wearily, it’s long skinny legs freaking him out quite a bit. It whinnied and stamped its hoof, clearly irritated at being made to wait for so long. Phil resisted the urge to hide behind Dan and approached it slowly. It was taller than his own dapple mare and the saddle looked far too high up for his liking. Dan sighed and gently encouraged him to step forward. Phil closed his eyes and grabbed the smaller horsed reigns, clumsily swinging one leg up and settling in the saddle. Dan did the same on the other horse but nudged it forward so that his and Phil’s were both standing parallel.

“Now remember, we mustn’t stray too far apart. I’m far more likely to stay on so you’ll be the one that comes off.”  
Phil rolled his eyes,

“I know.”

They set off at a slow trot, waving good bye to the stable hand who gave them a smile. Once they got out of the city they headed down a disused gravel track. The only way to get to Mira at this time of year was the mountain pass. The marshes were too wet, and the northern tundra was prowled by wolves. Phil had never actually taken the mountain pass, seeing as he had never actually been in Valkria before, but Dan had, and he said it wasn’t too bad. There was the occasional bear you had to watch out for and it you moved to close to the edge of the path there was always a worry that it would crumble and sent you to your death, but overall not too bad considering the general dangers of the outcrop.

Traffic across the bare stone ridges was pretty much non-existent and they both found it difficult to speak when every word echoed in the silence. The rhythmic click of hooves against the rough stone was a welcome sound although in this type of isolation it can feel a little menacing. A hare darted past and Phil watched it go with fascination. It was so strange how something could live I such a desolate place with so little life and yet it did.

“I wonder what else lives up here,” Dan murmured, his eyes scanning the nearby rock faces. The occasional bird flew past but really everything else was just dull grey and dry yellow, it put Phil on edge.

They were riding so close on the narrow paths that Dan reached out and squeezed Phil's hand reassuringly. In all honestly Phil didn’t find it too reassuring because it took his hand away from steadying himself on the horse, but he appreciated the gesture. Dan was wearing riding gloves, but Phil wasn’t so the cool leather felt nice against his hand. As they rose higher the quality of the path deaerated until they were both forced to dismount for fear that the horse’s feet would end up damaged. Phil; soon found he was fam more comfortable on the horse where legs weren’t really a danger than leading it which put him at a much higher risk of being kicked. Dan could sense how unsettled he was beginning to feel and took the reins, leading both horse so that Phil could give them some space. As they walked, a few stones were knocked over the side of the path and the sound of them tumbling to the valley floor below spooked the horses. Dan managed to keep hold of his, but Phil’s got loose and galloped away along the path. Dan groaned,

“Great, now what are we going to do?” her grumbled, attempting to calm his own horse.  
Phil watched the other bay horse as it disappeared around a corner and the sound of its hooves on the stones faded away. They were still In Valkrai so they had a while to go until they reached Mersey and now they were one horse down. He gave a defeated sigh,

“Maybe we should just head back, clearly this trip is doomed to fail.”  
Unfortunately, Phil had briefly forgotten Dan's character, and realised shortly after that if he truly felt they should turn back then that was certainly not the way to express it.

“No, we will carry on. We are getting you to your family one way or another!”

Phil sighed and looked down at his feet,

“We won’t get there in time and your parents won’t be happy. Besides what if my parents don’t want to see me, or you. They did make me go to Valkrai in the first place.”

He replied sadly and Dan stiffened.

“They only sent you here because you couldn’t ride and I am the heir so I had to be at home. They wouldn’t keep sending you letters if they didn’t want you back. Even if they didn’t like me they will be happy to see you, I guarantee it.”  
Once the path evened out Dan jumped back on his horse and offered Phil a hand up, Phil looked doubtful,

“Are you sure we won’t hurt it?” he asked uncertainly, Dan rolled his eyes,

“These horses are used to carrying soldiers in full armor, I’m sure they will be fine with your skinny frame.”

Phil still felt a bit nervous but jumped up to join Dan, the horse lurched, and Phil grabbed hold of Dan. Dan jumped and his breath caught. Phil's eyes widened, and he loosened his grip,

“Well this is snug,” he said with an awkward chuckle, scratching the back of his neck.  
Dan nodded, is mouth remaining firmly closed and gently urged the horse forward. The next half an hour consisted of them riding in silence, Dan being uncharacteristically quiet. When the rocks eventually began to turn to soil and the sparse patches of yellow grass became lush green grass they could eventually begin to relax. The dark pine woods outside of Mersey came into sight and a single plume of smoke rose above the treetops,

“I wonder if Sybil is home?” Phil said, leaning his head on Dan’s shoulder.

“I dunno,” Dan mumbled, Phil gave the back of his head a confused look,

“Don’t you want to pay her a visit, we can ask if she’ll change her mind.”  
Dan shrugged,

“I don’t really see a point; our parents still aren’t friends so she won’t lift the magic. I think it would be quicker just to head for the gates.”

Dan was acting really strange, Phil decided,

“Ok, but I’m dismounting when we get there.” this time it was Dan, who gave the confused look,

“Why?” Phil shrugged,

“Horses and crowds, also people in Mersey don’t necessarily like your family Dan. It would look a bit odd if we went riding into the capital on the same horse.”  
Dan looked somewhat hurt for a moment before wiping his face clean and nodding.”

“That sounds sensible.”

“What is up with you today?” Phil asked jokingly, although there was a hint of seriousness in his voice. Dan shrugged,

“Nothing.”

As they neared the main gate into the city, they began encountering more and more people. Eventually Phil dismounted and Dan decided that riding on his own with Phil next to him would be too awkward so followed suit. The castle was not in the centre of the city, rather a bit to the left. The city remained inside its original walls; although soon would be spilling out. The main cobbled street was familiar to Phil, as while he never left Mira, he was not afraid to walk the streets. A few of the vendors waved at him as they went past and they were left undisturbed. As they reached the castle gates they were stopped by a guard.

“What do you want?” he said in a tired voice, clearly at the end of his shift. Phil didn’t recognise him so he was probably new.

“Um I’m here to see my parents,” he said nervously. The guard sighed,

“And who are they?”

“The King and Queen,” Phil replied nervously. The guard scoffed and grabbed both men firmly by the arm, roughly leading them back towards the gates,

“Nice try. Now fuck off.”

They were thrown to the floor and a sword was pointed in their direction as they tried to get up. Eventually, they gave up and disappeared down a side street while things calmed down. The guard had caught hold of their horse and it was being led away towards the stables.

“What do we do Dan,” Phil groaned, “We have no horses, no money, and no supplies. It was all in the saddlebags.”

Dan shrugged and looked around hopelessly,

“Is there anyone you know who we could go and stay with?”

Phil frowned and looked deep in thought,

“I suppose we could go and visit Sybil, maybe she’ll reverse the spell or at least get us into the palace.”

Dan sighed, looking reluctant, but eventually nodded.

“Ok let’s go.”

They headed out of the main city gates and towards the towering trees of the forest. Phil had a vague memory of where the witch lived and so they found a path leading in the general direction. The sun was beginning to set which caused the prince's heart to beat harder. They simply plowed on and prayed nothing in the night came their way. Phil felt a small pressure on his hand and looked down to see Dan grabbing it lightly. He adjusted the grip so that their fingers were intertwined,

“Don’t worry Dan, I’m here.”

Dan nodded and pulled him a little closer, holding onto him like a safety blanket. He felt safe with Phil, even when what lay ahead terrified him. Together they took a deep breath, and stepped forward into the woods.


	3. Chapter 3

The trees loomed over them, dark and daunting. The old forest had been there long before the first brick of Mersey was laid, and probably would be for long after the final brick fell. The first settlers had even purposefully avoided building near it, and the only reason the people of the city didn't mind it was the wall that separated the two worlds. In the dark, it was difficult to distinguish the path from the rest of the random tracks that littered the forest floor. Every rustle in the bushes, every call of an overhead bird, every crack of a branch underfoot, scared the living daylight out of Dan. With every step, his grip on Phil tightened. Eventually, Phil had to reach over and prise Dan’s hand off him, for fear of being crushed. Eager to replace the safety he felt holding onto Phil, Dan took to clutching his arm instead. He hated the dark, he hated trees, why had he agreed to this? It was only now he was beginning to realise just how stupid this plan was.

Phil, while less bothered by the dark, still had a deep-rooted unease associated with the forest. He knew Sybil was here for a reason, he knew there were rumours of demons in the dark, he knew there was magic here. As they continued to walk, something began to stand out. There was a faint glow in the trees, not enough to be from a house or dwelling, just a small unearthly light. Curious, Phil lead Dan closer. The younger price seemed hesitant but was too reluctant to let of go of Phil to pull away. As they drew closer, a shape formed. To both of their surprise, a small flower came into focus. It was yellow, with short, fat petals and a long thick stalk. The petals were bright yellow and emitting light, covered in what looked like writing.

Phil began to look around and noticed another one, around a hundred meters away. He instinctively began to walk towards it, ignoring the plea from dan to turn back onto the path. The trail continued through the trees, the intervals between flowers growing shorter and shorter. Eventually, they came to a small glade, completely lit by the plants. A roe deer grazed by the tree line, and a rabbit stood on its hind legs, alerted by the presence of the two men. A shaggy mountain horse whinnied and trotted towards them, causing dan to jump. Phil’s eyes widened, and he smiled, moving towards the horse,

“Myrtle!” he exclaimed happily, “Do you know where Sybil is?” The horse neighed happily and turned, walking back into the trees. Dan was rather confused but followed anyway and Phil pulled him forward. In only a few minutes they came to yet another clearing, except in the middle of this one was a small cottage. A wooden fence surrounded it and a pristine herb garden was lit by the light from a window. Phil quickly thanked myrtle and knocked on the door. Dan watched as the horse nodded and headed back in the direction they had just came from, of course a witch had a horse capable of understanding human speech.

When the door was finally opened, the princes were met with a very surprised old lady,

“How the fuck did you find me?” she said in disbelief. Phil scratched the back of his head awkwardly,

“Well we followed the flowers which lead us to Myrtle, then she showed us the way.” Sybil rolled her eyes,

“I thought those flowers would stop glowing after a week. I only planted them, so I could see where I was going when collecting mushrooms. And that damn horse just doesn't understand I don't want visitors.” Phil held his hand to his heart, mocking offense,

“Well we are here now and as you can see, poor Dan is terrified, so let us in.” Sybil narrowed her eyes in annoyance but stepped aside. To let them in.

The first thing they noticed about her house, was the number of cats. There must have been about five on her bed alone. Phil was immediately hit by a fit of sneezes, but after a quick wave of Sybil's hand, stopped. Dan finally let go of Phil’s arm, and the older prince felt himself missing the warmth a little,

“I see you two are finally getting along,” the witch said curtly. Dan nodded and stepped forward. He still felt nervous around Sybil, given their last encounter, but felt much safer with Phil,

“Yes, we are, can we get separated now.” The old lady laughed coldly and shook her head,

“I’ve already told you. The magic cannot be undone until both of your kingdoms are at peace. You may be getting along, but your parents aren’t. I must admit, I did think all this would be sorted in Vivita, but if they want to play the long game it's up to them. Dan went to open his mouth in opposition, but Sybil silenced him,

“If you do not shut up, I will throw you back out into the woods. Otherwise you can spend the night here and I will take you to the palace tomorrow. Capeesh?” Dan nodded glumly, and the witch pointed over to a bunch of blankets strewn across the floor,

“Right, you can sleep there. Now if you don't mind, it's quite late and I would like to go to bed.”

She stomped over to a separate room and swung the door shut behind her, leaving the two princes speechless. Phil yawned, and Dan sighed, that pile of blankets really didn’t look comfortable. With no other choice, he went to sit on top of the blankets, back against the wall. Phil followed suit. The younger prince rested his head on the elder’s shoulder and Phil had to hide the small grin that formed on his lips. It was weird how close the two boys had become, but he didn't mind,

“We’ll need to go back to Valkrai soon.” Dan murmured, which instantly wiped the smile off Phil’s face, “My parents will be back soon, and they can’t know we left.”

“Or we could just stay here,” Phil replied quietly, “If we don't go back, your parents might come to Mira looking for you and we can get them to work out their differences with my parents.” Dan sighed,

“That could work I suppose, but I think they are more likely to use force to get me back, and I don't want to start an all-out war.”

Phil nodded solemnly, “I guess that makes sense. I just wish we could stay here longer.”

Dan gave Phil a sad smile and wrapped his arm around him, squeezing gently,

“Don’t worry, we’ll get this sorted out soon, that way we can both see our families.”

“Will we continue to see each other if the spell is reversed?” Phil asked nervously. Dan stopped to think for a moment before shrugging,

“I don’t see why not. We’re friends, aren’t we? Besides if the spell is reversed and our parents don’t fight anymore, what would be keeping us apart?” he paused for a moment, “Except distance, responsibilities, and lack of free time.”

They fell into a thoughtful silence, although Phil couldn't help but want to fill it. He didn't want to think about not being with Dan anymore. He was so used to it now, he couldn’t imagine being alone. After a while, quiet snoring began drifting around the room, and Dan was sleeping peacefully on Phil’s shoulder. Two cats had settled onto his knees and were purring happily. The older prince just prayed that the spell preventing his allergies didn't wear off any time soon, or else he was in for an extremely uncomfortable night. He closed his eyes and let himself relax, attempting to get as much sleep as he could, it would stop him worrying for a while at least. Pretty soon he was feeling drowsy, it wasn't too long before he was snoring as well.

The next morning both boys were more than relieved to leave the forest, in fact when the city walls came into view Dan almost jumped for joy. They walked in solemn silence until the odd group of three arrived at a small side gate, manned by a single guard. The guard looked exhausted, and it wasn’t until Sybil cleared her throat that he noticed them. Phil recognized him vaguely, probably from around the palace. The poor man jumped before looking over at Phil in shock,

“Your majesty?” he asked in a high-pitched voice. Phil nodded wordlessly, and the guard bent down in an awkward bow, seemingly unsure of what to do,

“Take them to the palace,” Sybil said in a monotone voice before turning on her heel and leaving, trying to hide the grin that was forming on her face for some unknown reason. Dan had to fight the urge to flip her off, he had a feeling she would know if he did.

The guard led them through the gate, closing it behind him until another guard came to take his place. Rather than walk through the marketplace, which would be extremely busy this early in the morning, they opted to take the route through the tunnels. The tunnels were built hundreds of years ago, back when Mersey was only a small town. The city actually lay on top of an abandoned silver mine, but it had been filled in after there were worries part of it could collapse and damage the building on the surface. The tunnels nearer the surface, however, had been reinforced and converted into passages to allow for quicker navigation of the city. Since they all converged at the palace, access was restricted, but they were still widely used by the military and servants of the palace.

After around fifteen minutes, they arrived at a staircase, shut off by a heavy iron gate. The guard unlocked the gate with a slightly rusty key and ushered them through. He was about to follow them when Phil raised his hand,

“We can go from here thank you,” he said, but the man still looked hesitant. Phil rolled his eyes,

“Look I live here, it’s not like I’m going to get lost.”

In truth, he had got lost in the castle, many times. Once he and his brother had been playing hide and seek, and he had decided to go into the cellars. There were so many twists and turns, he completely lost track of where he was. Most of the original storage cellars aren’t in use anymore, they used to hold the argentite from the mines before it was smelted into silver. Now there are just endless, empty rooms cut into the stone under the city. There were plans to convert them into a shelter for Mersey’s residents, should the city ever come under siege, but so far there had never been a reason to try. After a few hours only torch he had burnt out, and he was left in the dark. He didn't know how long he was down there for, but it was enough to thoroughly shake him. Maybe that’s why he hated being separated from his family so much, or maybe he just missed them.

The passage continued through the old dungeons, and up into the courtyard. Phil thought he better not mention to Dan that they were rumored to be haunted. They were met with the odd guard, but aside from looking a little, they barely reacted to the two princes. Dan was panting slightly from how fast Phil was walking, but the older prince had no time to waste. If he couldn't stay long, he was going to make the most of his time here, and that didn’t mean wandering the lower passages of the palace for an hour. Eventually, they made their way into the main hall, where they finally stopped long enough for a good look around.

Each wall was lined with paintings of the coats of arms of the royal houses in Mira. A lot of them had died off over the years or moved out of the country, to far more pleasant lands. These were marked with a black cross underneath, his parents thought it rude to paint over them completely. The ceiling was high and held up by a series of large wooden beams. They had been painted too at one point, but once it had peeled off, had never been replaced. Long tables of pale pine wood stretched the length of the hall, although they lacked the decorative cloths that usually covered them, indicating they were not in use. At the far end, there were a set of four enormous, stained glass windows, each one depicting part of the story of how the Lester’s came to the throne.

The tale went that a thousand years ago, back when the outcrop was all but barren, a group of settlers arrived by boat. They saw value in the precious metals and stones that lay under the earth and built up a small village from which they could go out and collect these precious things. Soon the original settlers were joined by migrants, seeking the same wealth and fortune that others had found in Mira. Everything was not perfect, however. It was difficult to find food, and although in the summer they could manage, winter was another story. Luckily, however, one of the wealthiest of the villagers sent out a boat to travel south. It arrived a week later with enough food to keep everyone going until spring came, and in gratitude, the man was given the title of protector of the village. As time passed and villages grew into towns, that grew into cities, that became increasingly powerful, the title of protector, was changed to that of the king, and ever since that man's relatives have ruled over Mira. Chances are that story isn't true. The Lester’s probably became the royal family through either force, or just because they were so rich, but it’s nice to imagine that your distant relatives were decent guys rather than murderers and manipulators.

Under the windows sat two ornate thrones. They were made of silver and inlaid with gold and gems such as sapphires and diamonds. Phil had never found them to be very pleasant to sit in, while as a child his brother had enjoyed pretending to be king and ordering around servants, Phil much preferred to sitting in his room reading a book or begging his parents for a dog. Unfortunately, the dog discussion had never come to anything, but reading was something he really enjoyed. Their footsteps echoed throughout the hall as they moved towards the door at the other end of the room. It led to the personal chambers, library and drawing room, hopefully his parents would actually be in. They hadn’t mentioned any upcoming events that would require them to leave the city, but their luck hadn’t been exactly amazing lately.

Dragging dan along behind him, Phil hurried from room to room, poking his head in to see if anyone was there. Perhaps he should have allowed the guard to come and announce their arrival since nobody had any idea they were coming. As he looked into the library, he couldn't help but smile as his brother was sat quietly reading by one of the tables,

“Martyn!” he said happily, causing the man to jump. Marty stood up immediately, looking over at the two with a smile,

“Phil?” he said with a grin, “You didn't say you were visiting. Whatever happened to you, you look a mess.” Phil shrugged,

“It's a long story. Do you know where Mum and Dad are?” Martyn nodded,

“They’ll be back in a few hours, they only went to visit old Mr Asper, he’s sick at the moment.”

Phil sighed. Mr Asper lived in a grand old mansion a few miles beyond the city walls. Of course his parents wouldn’t be at home, and they really needed to head back to Valkrai. At this rate, they were going to have to ride through the night, and neither of the two princes had slept properly in three days,

“We need to go soon, I might not be able to see them before we leave,” Phil said glumly. Martyn looked confused,

“Why, you can stay as long as you like, I’m sure everyone won’t mind having Daniel around, we all miss you.” It was the first time anyone had really acknowledged the younger man, and he bent down his head sheepishly,

“Well you see my parents don’t know we left Valkrai, we have to get back before they do or there will be trouble,” Dan replied quietly, Martyn shrugged,

“Why bother, nothing will happen while you are here, besides they aren’t exactly going to hurt you Daniel, you’re their heir, and they can't hurt Phil without consequences for you.”

Phil shook his head and looked down at the ground miserably,

“We aren’t going to risk it.”

Rather than spend the next several hours sulking, Phil decided he would stay with his brother and catch up after their several months apart. When they were such a close-knit family, it was strange for them to spend much time away from each other. He was used to speaking with his brother at least several times a week, and you can't exactly fit a whole conversation into a letter. While seeming a little hostile at first, Martyn eventually warmed up to Dan,

“I think Mum and Dad will like you Daniel,” he had said after a while, “maybe then we can work on getting you and my brother separated. I mean no offense but sometimes we would like to see him without you being there.” Dan shrugged and hummed in agreement. He was beginning to crave some time alone.

“We went to see Sybil, not out of choice, of course, she wasn't much help.” Phil piped up. Martyn snorted,

“Why would you go and visit Sybil. Even Mum and Dan haven't been to see her since you since the whole curse thing.”

“The guard at the gate turned us away and we had nowhere else to go, nicked our horse too.” Phil replied glumly, that guard had cost him a nice warm night in the castle and probably the only chance he was going to get at seeing his family in months,”

Martyn’s eyes widened, and he clicked his fingers,

“I know that guy!” he announced loudly, “He was boasting about stopping two impersonators by the gates. I've always hated him, “I’ve no idea why he was hired in the first place. We’ll throw him in the dungeons for a couple of days, that’ll show him.” Phil rolled his eyes,

“We don't use the dungeons anymore,” he replied, shaking his head,

“Yeah but actually sending him to jail seems a little harsh don't you think, I'm pretty sure he has kids to support.” Phil tried to look unimpressed but couldn't hide the small smile that tugged at his lips,

“Right, I’ll leave you to sort that out then,” he said fondly, before turning to whisper something in Dan's ear.

Since his older brother insisted on confronting the guard immediately (before he forgot) it gave a little time for Phil to go and collect some things from his room. He had been borrowing Dan’s clothes for the most part, and while admittedly they looked good on him, they weren’t really his style. The room was exactly the same as the day he had left for Vivita, although maybe a little dustier. It wasn't long before he had all but cleared his wardrobe and packed it neatly into a small bag. He didn't know how he had managed to fit everything in there, but he wasn't going to question it. He changed into a fresh set of clothes and offered dan some as well. He spent a good while trying to find the darkest thing Phil owned, eventually choosing a grey shirt with black trousers. Phil had rolled his eyes, but he had never really liked that outfit, so didn’t mind Dan having it.

Along with his clothes, Phil really wanted to take Lillian back with him. The grey mare was far more comfortable to ride than the enormous bay horses back in Valkrai, and he trusted her to a small degree. Dan wasn't so sure,

“She’s very different than the horses back home, someone will notice. Besides, she’s not exactly a prince’s horse, she looks like she could be ridden by a farmer.” Phil raised his hand to his chest and scoffed,

“That’s rude. At least she wouldn't bolt on us like one of your horses did. You can just say one of the castle servants brought her up for me, please?” Dan sighed and gave in. Luckily the royal stables still had the bay that they had arrived on, and the supplies had been replaced or returned by the guards who took them, all of which looked very embarrassed at having been caught.

They spent the remainder of the day talking with Martyn and various other servants that Phil was close to. Dan was surprised at how accepting they were of him. All of the servants at home hated Phil, but none of them seemed the slightest bit bothered that their prince was tied to the prince of a rival kingdom. All in all, it was pleasant. In fact, dan wouldn’t have minded staying for a little longer. Unfortunately, as late afternoon set in Phil’s parents had not yet returned, and they needed to leave. Phil glumly packed up the saddlebags of the two horses, still wary of the bay’s skinny legs but less nervous than he had been on leaving Valkrai. Waving goodbye to everyone, the two princes left Mersey in silence. Phil was quietly seething to himself over the terrible luck both men had received over the last few days, and dan could tell he really didn't want to leave. Before they even reached the mountain pass, however, things went wrong again.

It started with lights in the distance, a series of torches. At first, they had assumed it to be a caravan trail of traders heading for Mersey, but as they drew closer, the sound of marching could be heard. Dan's eyes widened as he recognized the armour and shields that the soldiers bore. It was the royal guard if Valkrai. There was no time to turn around or head off the path. The two horses were buckled together at the halter to stop them from bolting again, but it slowed them down. It wasn't long until the procession was upon them. A soldier reached out and grabbed the reins of the the two horses, grinning when he saw who was riding them,

“We’ve found them!” he called to the back of the group, where the head of the royal guard was looking down at them disapprovingly. He approached them slowly, his scowl reminded Phil of a snake, narrowed eyes and pursed lips.

“Tried to run away did you?” he hissed scathingly, “Mark my words it will not happen again. You are coming back with us.” Dan knew to shut his mouth around this guy, but Phil went to protest,

“We weren't running away, only going to visit my family. Otherwise we wouldn't be heading back for Valkrai.”

“Silence!” the man shouted, and he struck Phil across the face harshly. The metal of his gauntlet left a cut along his cheek with oozed blood and caused Phil’s eyes to water. Dan gasped, and his hand immediately went to Phil's cheek cupping it gently as he inspected the damage. He glared at the guard angrily,

“My parents will hear about this,” he spat. The guard let out a cold laugh.

“I reckon your parents will thank me for teaching that piece of vermin some respect. You know how much they hate him.”

Dan growled in anger which only caused the guard to laugh again. Phil was looking down at the ground nervously, his mouth tightly closed and tensed.

“Right turn around, we’re heading home, now that out fugitives have been captured.” He announced smugly. The group of soldiers seemed too let out a collective groan as they did a 180°, it seemed nobody liked this man's arrogance. They were led in silence through the mountains, Phil clinging to Lillian best he could. They were moving faster than he was comfortable with, spurred on by the leader who smirked at Phil,

“You’re such a wimp pretty boy. Maybe if I stick something sharp in you, you’d be more willing to move.” his hand went to his belt where the ornate hilt of a dagger glistened menacingly in the flickering orange light. Dan shuffled forward so he was more in front of the older price, sheltering him. The guard sneered,

“What are you doing protecting him, you should hate him as much as the rest of us do. He’s the enemy.” Dan gulped, he didn't want his parents knowing of the affection he had for Phil, but at the same time he didn't want Phil hurt,

“You know what the witch said, if he dies I have to drag him around with me for the rest of my life. Can you see why that isn't very appealing?” he replied sharply, which seemed to shut the guard up for a while. At least with the protection of the group, they didn't have to worry about the wild animals that patrolled the mountains at night.

After a few hours of traveling, the days of little sleep began to catch up on dan, and he found himself slouching in the saddle, eyes falling shut now and again. He was genuinely worried he would fall asleep whilst riding. Phil, however, remained rigid and wide-eyed. He would occasionally nudge Dan to wake him up, and dan realised he was scared of what the guards would do to him if dan fell asleep. There was only so long he could stay awake however and pretty soon he was slumped over, unable to retain consciousness, no matter how hard Phil prodded him.

He didn’t wake again until they arrived back at the capital and were led back up to the main gates. They were escorted into a drawing room and sat down on one of the couches. A guard was positioned at each of their sides and Dan had never felt more trapped in his own home. Phil looked absolutely exhausted, and there was a large new bruise forming on his jaw, opposite to the cut, which had stopped bleeding but still needed cleaning out. Dan felt extremely guilty for allowing Phil to get hurt again, he tried to stay awake, he really did. Soon even Phil gave in to his exhaustion and fell asleep, head rested on Dan’s shoulder. He still didn’t look peaceful though, hunched up and pale, even when unconscious. They should have stayed In Mira, he should have known not everyone would be able to keep a secret.

A few hours later the door opened to reveal the King and Queen, neither of whom looked pleased. It was the Queen that spoke first,

“What did you run away for you stupid boy?” she said harshly, aimed at Dan. The young prince frowned deeply,

“We weren’t running away, we just went to see Phil’s family.” He shot back sharply, not realising his mistake until a few seconds later. The Queen looked furious,

“If you had not forgotten, they are the enemy, he is the enemy,” she replied loudly, pointing a finger at Phil who was still fast asleep. Dan didn't have the heart to wake him, nor the desire for him to hear all of the vile things his parents were bound to say, so let him sleep. He could see his parents scowling at the position he was in, but Dan wasn't going to let them do anything about it,

“He may be the enemy, but as long as we are stuck together we will have to try and get along. If you would only try and make peace with the Lester’s, this nightmare could end. They seem like reasonable people.” He replied defensively. The King scoffed,

“Have you actually met them properly, or are you just going off what their vermin protege said?” he asked with a sneer. Dan stuttered for a moment,

“I’ve met their eldest son, and I’ve met Phil. They are both perfectly polite, kind and approachable people, which I believe to be proof of a well balanced and warm upbringing, therefore how bad can they really be?”

“They are lying to you, can’t you see! If you give in to them they will be free to mock us and take our land. That which works for them, she did this to weaken Valkrai and raise power in Mira. They will destroy us.” The king spat. Dan turned his head away, trying to stop tears from forming in his eyes.

“I won’t believe you.” He replied quietly. The king sighed and threw his hands into the air,

“Fine, don’t believe me, but until we find an alternative to remove that thing from you, you will not leave this castle.” he said harshly, “Take them away,” he ordered to a guard.

One guard grabbed Dan by the arm and the other Phil. Phil barely woke up and had to be all but dragged away with little coordination or cooperation on his part. They were shoved into Dan's room, and the door locked from the outside. The loud ‘click’ caused Phil to jump slightly, but he was still drowsy and merely wandered in a dazed state over to the bed. Dan noticed all of the letter writing stuff Phil kept on the desk had been removed, and his clothes routed through. The satchel bag containing his belongings from back home had been thrown across the room and some things were missing.

“What are we going to do Phil, we can't live here for the rest of our lives, and there isn't another way to release the magic. I don't want to spend the next twenty years locked up.” Dan said panicked. Phil nodded slowly but was already drifting off again.  Dan sighed and walked closer to Phil so that he could sleep for a little longer, yawning himself. Phil automatically reached out to grab onto the younger prince’s arm, visibly relaxing at the contact. Soon he was quietly snoring, still not looking quite right but a little better than before. He probably wasn't going to understand anything that had happened while he had been asleep. Dan was already dreading telling him about their current predicament when he awoke the next morning. Pushing the fear aside he settled down into the warm next to Phil. It seemed as though luck was never going to go their way.

When Phil prized his eyes open a few hours later, he was met with dim light filtering through the windows of the room. It was messy, with clothes and belongings strewn everywhere. He went to sit up but found his arm to be trapped under Dan who was lying next to him, wide awake,

“Are you ok?” He asked hoarsely, causing Dan to jump. He nodded slowly but his face said otherwise,

“Do you remember what happened earlier, after we arrived back at the castle?” He finally replied. Phil frowned,

“I remember some shouting, and being pushed around a lot, but not much else.”

Dan sighed,

“We've been trapped here,” he said miserably, “They've shut us in and they won't let us out until the spell breaks.” Phil's eyes widened and pointed to the door,

“Is it locked?” He asked in disbelief, Dan nodded. Phil leaned back into the headboard of the bed

“Don't worry Dan, I'll send a letter to my parents, they can't do this.”

Dan shook his head,

“They've taken all your writing stuff. We literally have no way of communicating with anyone.”

They both sat in silence for a little while, unsure of what to say or do. It looked to be early evening, and the odd bird flitted across the glass, beak full of grass or sticks. Phil hoped they wouldn’t try and build their nests on the roof, servants would go around and destroy them all ned spring, lived in or not. The looked ‘messy’.

“So, what _are_ we going to do?” The older prince asked, turning to Dan. He shrugged hopelessly,

“I don't know Phil, I really don't. This wouldn't have been such a problem if you weren't so hung up about your goddamn family. It’s not normal. You don’t see me sulking over not being able to see mine?”

Phil frowned, “But you do get to see your family. We are living in your house.” Dan scoffed,

“Yeah but they refuse to even look at me because of you.

“Well that's not my fault!”

“Yeah I find that hard to believe,” Dan snapped, and Phil raised an eyebrow,

“You think I wanted this?” he asked in disbelief,

“Well Sybil is supposedly a friend of your family. Why would she purposefully make you so upset? What are you trying to achieve by this?” Dan spat, sitting up and moving to the other side of the bed. Phil rolled his eyes,

“What I am trying to achieve? What are you trying to achieve by starting this argument? Right now, we are all each other have got. I'm sorry that you can’t talk to your family anymore, but they have locked us both in a room and isolated us from everyone. Why do they think that is going to help us in any way?”

“Oh shut up!” Dan shouted back, eyes blazing,

“I don't want to hear another word out of you. As far as I’m concerned this is all your fault, and I don't need your stupid opinions and whiny voice being all I hear for the rest of my life. I trust my parents and I believe that they will find a way to break this stupid curse, even if they don’t want to make up with the Lester’s.”

Phil glared back but kept his mouth closed. If Dan didn't’ want him to speak they he wouldn't, simple as that. Only because it would drive him insane in the end. It hurt that they had taken such a step back. They had gone from being friends, maybe even a little closer, to being even more hostile than when they had first met in a matter of hours. His eyes were watering, and he winced as he wiped them. The cut on his cheek stung and his bruise ached. Maybe his parents had been right. The Howells we nothing but cruel and heartless. He hoped they didn't make up, there would be no way he would ever want to see dan again after this. He hated Sybil, he hated dan, he hated this place and the people wishing, and to be honest, he was starting to hate himself. Dan was right, this really was all his fault. If he hadn’t insisted on going to the council meeting, he would never have met Dan, and the witch couldn't work her stupid magic. He turned his back to the younger prince and squeezed his eyes shut. He wanted to forget about all his, if only for a little while. Plus, if he went back to sleep it would only piss off Dan even more.

It wasn't like him to despise someone so much, especially not someone who had previously been his friend. He couldn’t believe he had actually grown to have feelings for dan. He didn't need him, he never did. It was just a stupid set of fake emotions brought on by all that time together. He was only craving some sort of human contact, and dan was the only outlet for that. Had they not been literally chained together, he would have never even spoken to the man. If Dan thought he had control over him, well he didn't, and Phil was as capable of making dan's life a nightmare as the Dan had his. If Dan didn't want him to speak, he wouldn’t, and he was far more resilient than Dan thought he could be.

 

**Author's Note:**

> A/N hey hoped you liked this, next chapter will be out soon. Don't forget to comment it gives me life. Have a nice day yall and I'll see you later :)


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